General practitioners’ adherence to the COPD GOLD guidelines: baseline data from the Swiss COPD Cohort Study
Principles: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major burden on patients and healthcare systems. Diagnosis and the management of COPD are often administered by general practitioners (GPs). This analysis investigated the adherence of GPs in Switzerland to the Global Initiative for Ch...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW)
2010-08-01
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| Series: | Swiss Medical Weekly |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1164 |
| _version_ | 1811194089702424576 |
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| author | A Jochmann F Neubauer D Miedinger PN Chhajed Török Schafroth |
| author_facet | A Jochmann F Neubauer D Miedinger PN Chhajed Török Schafroth |
| author_sort | A Jochmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Principles: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major burden on patients and healthcare systems. Diagnosis and the management of COPD are often administered by general practitioners (GPs). This analysis investigated the adherence of GPs in Switzerland to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases (GOLD) guidelines.
Methods: As part of an ongoing investigation into the effect of GPs prescriptions on the clinical course of COPD, 139 GPs submitted a standardised questionnaire for each COPD patient recruited. Information requested included spirometric parameters, management and demographic data. Participating GPs were provided with and received instruction on a spirometer with automatic feedback on quality. Patients were grouped by the investigators into the GOLD COPD severity classifications, based on spirometric data provided. Data from the questionnaires were compared between the groups and management was compared with the recommendations of GOLD.
Results: Of the 615 patients recruited, 44% did not fulfil GOLD criteria for COPD. Pulmonary rehabilitation was prescribed to 5% of all patients and less than one-third of patients exercised regularly. Less than half the patients in all groups used short-acting bronchodilators. Prescribing long-acting bronchodilators or inhaled corticosteroids conformed to GOLD guidelines in two-thirds of patients with GOLD stage III or IV disease, and approximately half of the less severe patients. Systemic steroids were inappropriately prescribed during stable disease to 6% of patients.
Conclusions: Adherence to GOLD (COPD) guidelines is low among GPs in Switzerland and COPD is often misdiagnosed or treated inappropriately. This is probably due to poor knowledge of disease definitions.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:20:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c6c623262314e20bc0281fa3f5cdffe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-3997 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:20:19Z |
| publishDate | 2010-08-01 |
| publisher | SMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Swiss Medical Weekly |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c6c623262314e20bc0281fa3f5cdffe2022-12-22T03:55:44ZengSMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW)Swiss Medical Weekly1424-39972010-08-01140313210.4414/smw.2010.13053General practitioners’ adherence to the COPD GOLD guidelines: baseline data from the Swiss COPD Cohort StudyA JochmannF NeubauerD MiedingerPN ChhajedTörök Schafroth Principles: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major burden on patients and healthcare systems. Diagnosis and the management of COPD are often administered by general practitioners (GPs). This analysis investigated the adherence of GPs in Switzerland to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases (GOLD) guidelines. Methods: As part of an ongoing investigation into the effect of GPs prescriptions on the clinical course of COPD, 139 GPs submitted a standardised questionnaire for each COPD patient recruited. Information requested included spirometric parameters, management and demographic data. Participating GPs were provided with and received instruction on a spirometer with automatic feedback on quality. Patients were grouped by the investigators into the GOLD COPD severity classifications, based on spirometric data provided. Data from the questionnaires were compared between the groups and management was compared with the recommendations of GOLD. Results: Of the 615 patients recruited, 44% did not fulfil GOLD criteria for COPD. Pulmonary rehabilitation was prescribed to 5% of all patients and less than one-third of patients exercised regularly. Less than half the patients in all groups used short-acting bronchodilators. Prescribing long-acting bronchodilators or inhaled corticosteroids conformed to GOLD guidelines in two-thirds of patients with GOLD stage III or IV disease, and approximately half of the less severe patients. Systemic steroids were inappropriately prescribed during stable disease to 6% of patients. Conclusions: Adherence to GOLD (COPD) guidelines is low among GPs in Switzerland and COPD is often misdiagnosed or treated inappropriately. This is probably due to poor knowledge of disease definitions. https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1164bronchodilatorsCOPDGOLDGuidelinesinhaled corticosteroidsmanagement |
| spellingShingle | A Jochmann F Neubauer D Miedinger PN Chhajed Török Schafroth General practitioners’ adherence to the COPD GOLD guidelines: baseline data from the Swiss COPD Cohort Study Swiss Medical Weekly bronchodilators COPD GOLD Guidelines inhaled corticosteroids management |
| title | General practitioners’ adherence to the COPD GOLD guidelines: baseline data from the Swiss COPD Cohort Study |
| title_full | General practitioners’ adherence to the COPD GOLD guidelines: baseline data from the Swiss COPD Cohort Study |
| title_fullStr | General practitioners’ adherence to the COPD GOLD guidelines: baseline data from the Swiss COPD Cohort Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | General practitioners’ adherence to the COPD GOLD guidelines: baseline data from the Swiss COPD Cohort Study |
| title_short | General practitioners’ adherence to the COPD GOLD guidelines: baseline data from the Swiss COPD Cohort Study |
| title_sort | general practitioners adherence to the copd gold guidelines baseline data from the swiss copd cohort study |
| topic | bronchodilators COPD GOLD Guidelines inhaled corticosteroids management |
| url | https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1164 |
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