Assessing the need for a clinical COPD care program in a managed care organization.
BACKGROUND
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a systemic inflammatory condition, is costly and often devastating to patient quality of life. COPD is also greatly underdiagnosed and often inappropriately treated. A managed care organization therefore evaluated whether a systemwide COPD clinical program within its organization may be appropriate. The organization examined the current prevalence, costs, and adherence to clinical treatment guidelines.


OBJECTIVE
To identify the prevalence and costs of COPD within the managed care organization and to ascertain whether the condition could be better managed using a systemwide clinical program.


CONCLUSIONS
Both diagnosis and treatment of COPD would likely be improved with a comprehensive clinical COPD care program that would include measuring outcomes, stratifying COPD patients by risk, and initiating disease state management efforts.
Cannon
H Eric
HE
Intermountain Health Care, 36 South State St., Suite 1900, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, USA. eric.cannon@ihc.com
D019468:Disease Management; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*