Groundbreaking study launched in Salford : the Salford Lung Study

Source: Joint press release on Salford Royal Hospitals Trust website

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Date of publication: May 2012

Publication type: Press release

In a nutshell: The Salford Lung Study is a collaboration between Glaxo Smith Kline, North West e-Health (NWeH), The University of Manchester, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Salford, local GPs and local community pharmacists. Around 4,000 patients with COPD and 5,000 patients with asthma from Salford, Greater Manchester, will be enrolled in the year-long study.  It is the first time a large, ‘real-world’ study has been performed on a pre-licence medicine, across a large population within one geographical setting. The linked database system was created using real-time, integrated data collected from a variety of sources.  It will ensure patients are closely monitored over the course of the study, but with minimal intrusion into their everyday lives.
Length of publication:  2 pages

Some important notes: Original article may be available with an NHS Athens username; contact your local NHS library service for details Follow this link to find your local NHS Library http://www.hlisd.org
Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.  http://www.hlisd.org/ >

Acknowledgement: MAHSC Newsletter

Bedfordshire Integrated COPD Service

Source: Bedfordshire Integrated COPD Service

Date of publication: Feb 2012

Publication type: News story

In a nutshell:  Luton & Dunstable and Bedford Hospital have joined together to provide a new unified service for all COPD patients in Bedfordshire. The integrated COPD Service, launched on 1st February 2012, provides community-based support with a full complement of specialist staff including consultants, respiratory nurses and respiratory physiotherapists.

Length of publication: 1 web page

Development and validation of the living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease questionnaire

Source: Quality of Life Research, September 2011, vol. 20, part 7, pp. 1043-52

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Date of publication: September 2011

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: The purpose of the study was to develop a patient-based PRO measure for COPD that captures the overall everyday impact of living with COPD from the patient’s perspective.  The resulting tool, the LCOPD is a new measure which examines the everyday impact of living with COPD. It demonstrates good scaling properties and may prove valuable in understanding treatment benefits.

Length of publication:  10 pages

Some important notes:  Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article.  Follow this link to find your local NHS Library. 

Acknowledgement: Medline

Assessing inflammatory phenotypes and improving the cost-effectiveness of asthma and COPD care in the community

Source: Primary Care Respiratory Journal, 2011, Volume 20, Issue 4, pp. 349-350

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Date of publication: December 2011

Publication type: Editorial

In a nutshell: Looks at the underdiagnosis and overdiagnosis of COPD and asthma and consider how this can be improved through the use of alternative objective tests, such as biomarkers as one possibility. A biomarker is
a surrogate measurement designed to characterise and quantify an underlying disease process.

Length of publication:  11 pages

Acknowledgement: MEDLINE

Effectiveness of Spirometry Fundamentals for increasing the proper use of spirometry in patients with asthma and COPD

Source: Primary Care Respiratory Journal http://www.valueinhealthjournal.com November 2011, Volume 20, Issue 4, pp. 441-7

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Date of publication: November 2011

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: The results show that private or community-based practice had a higher performance that hospital or unversity based clinics but the analysis was not statistically significant.  Concludes that the CD Rom Spirometry
Fundamentals is insufficient to improve the quality of spirometry in primary care, suggesting the need for more comprehensive multifaceted training resources.

Length of publication:  7 page

Some important notes: Original article may be available with an NHS Athens username; contact your local NHS library service for details Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Acknowledgement: EMBASE

COPD tool ‘improves GP diagnosis’

Source: British Journal of General Practice http://www.rcgp.org.uk/brjgenpract.aspx

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Date of publication: October 2011

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Using a short decision aid to help diagnose COPD in patients presenting with a persistent cough reduces the number of unnecessary patients sent for spirometry.  A Dutch study involved 65 GPs, who examined 357 patients complaining of a persistent cough for 14 days or longer which estimated the probability of COPD after taking a short history and physical examination.  When the diagnosis was checked, it was found that using the decision aid after the initial assessment had improved the GPs’ risk classification, resulting in 35 fewer patients needing spirometry testing and eight fewer COPD cases being missed.

Length of publication: 10 pages

Some important notes: Original article may be available with an NHS Athens username; contact your local NHS library service for details Follow this link to find your local NHS Library http://www.hlisd.org
Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.  http://www.hlisd.org/ >

Acknowledgement: Pulse

Developing a structured education programme for clients with COPD

Source: British Journal of Community Nursing  http://www.bjcn.co.uk Vol. 16, Iss. 5, 04 May 2011, pp 231 – 237

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Date of publication: May 2011

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Describes the development of a Structured Education Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme (SEPRP), for the PRINCE (Pulmonary Rehabilitation In Nurse-led Community Environments) study.  The findings led to the development of the eight-week PRINCE programme, based on a philosophy of empowerment which was underpinned by the Transtheoretical model (TTM) of behaviour change. Participants’ experiences of self management following participation in the programme were also examined.

Length of publication:  7 pages

Some important notes: Original article may be available with an NHS Athens username; contact your local NHS library service for details. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgement: EMBASE

Effects of home-care program in preventing exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

Source: Minerva Pneumologica http://www.minervamedica.it/en/journals/minerva-pneumologica 2011 June;50(2):147-54

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Date of publication: June 2011

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: Hospital at home schemes are a recently adopted method of service delivery for the management of acute COPD exacerbations. These programs are carried out over a long period of one or more years, and include regular home visits, which are usually made by a registered nurse. The nurse-led scheme helps patients to manage their condition at home and provides support and education. Moreover, it may result in early detection of problems and a reduction in hospital admissions.

Length of publication:  8 pages

Some important notes: Original article may be available with an NHS Athens username; contact your local NHS library service for details.  Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Acknowledgement: EMBASE

A partnership approach to raising community spirometry standards

Source:  Primary Health Care

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Date of publication:  May 2011

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell: Describes the development of a spirometry training course in Lincolnshire for health professionals in general practice.  Goes through the content of the 2-day programme to improve assessment and diagnosis of COPD and a project to deliver the training to health care support workers, and includes an evaluation.

Length of publication:  3 pages

Some important notes:  Original article may be available with an NHS Athens username; contact your local NHS library service for details Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Acknowledgement: BNI

Ambulatory oxygen: why do COPD patients not use their portable systems as prescribed? A qualitative study

Source:  BMC Pulmonary Medicine  http://www.biomedcentral.com

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Date of publication:  February 2011

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell: The aim of this study was to obtain in-depth information about perceptions and use of prescribed ambulatory oxygen systems from patients with COPD to inform ambulatory oxygen design, prescription and management.  Participants reported that they: received no instruction on how to use ambulatory oxygen; were uncertain of the benefits; were afraid the system would run out while they were using it (due to lack of confidence in the cylinder gauge); were embarrassed at being seen with the system in public; and were unable to carry the system because of the cylinder weight. The essential role of carers was also highlighted, as participants with no immediate carers did not use ambulatory oxygen outside the house.  The study concuded that such issues should be addressed to improve adherence to ambulatory oxygen prescription and enhance the physical and social benefits of maintaining mobility in this patient group.

Length of publication:  7 pages

Acknowledgement:  MEDLINE

Preventative tele-health supported services for early stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial pilot

Source: Trials

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Date of publication: 2011

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell:  The current evidence base to support technology adoption and implementation is limited and the resource implications for implementing tele-health in practice can be very high.  This describes a pilot study for a two arm, one site randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine the effect of tele-health monitoring on self-management, quality of life and patient satisfaction.  Patients discharged from one acute trust with a primary diagnosis of COPD agreed to receive community clinical support following discharge from acute care and were randomly assigned to one of two groups: (a) Tele-health supported Community COPD Service; or (b) Usual Care.  Because the service is complex there was a need for significant changes to established working patterns and careful planning.

Length of publication:  10 pages

Acknowledgement: EMBASE

Large-scale community pulmonary rehabilitation: More than a question of numbers

Source: Thorax, December 2009, vol./is. 64/(A98)

Follow this link for the abstract

Date of publication: December 2009

Publication type: Abstract

In a nutshell: This is a report on the first 2 years of BreathingSpace (BS) , a community-based facility dedicated to the assessment and management of patients with COPD. One of its original ideals was to deliver pulmonary rehabilitation on a large scale for the local community.  The authors guard against getting the impression that more can be done for less.

Length of publication:  1 page

Some important notes: Original article may be available with an NHS Athens username; contact your local NHS library service for details.  Follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Acknowledgement: EMBASE