Computer-guided consultation in COPD practice

EB Thompson, MG Pearson, L Davies, E McKnight, A Trusdale, K Sargeant, RM Angus, Thorax 2013; 68(Suppl 3): A38

The study reports the results of the implementation of the LungHealth COPD guided consultation in 2000 patients across 78 General Practices. These are patients who already had an established diagnosis of COPD and were on the GP register with this diagnosis. 

What did the study report? 

The implementation of the LungHealth COPD guided consultation resulted in the finding that a significant number of this group did not actually have the diagnosis of COPD. Inhaler technique was also defective in a significant proportion of patients who had been diagnosed with COPD. 

Establishing a diagnosis of COPD: The findings were that when all 2000 patients underwent spirometry as part of the LungHealth COPD review, 23% of this group were found not to have the diagnosis of COPD based on results of spirometry testing (McNemar's test; p<0.001). 

Checking proper inhaler technique: The implementation of the software resulted in the inhaler technique being found deficient in 10.2% of patients which should have been discovered prior to this review and in part was responsible for the medication changes (McNemar's test; p<0.001).

Read the abstract here.