[Suspicion of COPD--development of an algorithm for stepwise diagnosis in primary care].
The implementation of the disease management programme (DMP) for asthma and COPD in the German health system in 2005 requires an optimal and evidence-based work-up of patients by general practitioners in routine daily practice. The German and international guidelines for COPD do not provide recommendations for a stepwise diagnostic work-up in primary care. Therefore, an evidence-based algorithm was developed for a stepwise diagnosis of COPD and its different stages in general practice, based on national and foreign guidelines that provide specific advice on diagnostic procedures.
Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Sektion Aligemeinmedizin und Versorgungsforschung, Heidelberg. Antonius.Schneider@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Antonius
A
Schneider
Mathias M
MM
Borst
Ferdinand M
FM
Gerlach
Joachim
J
Szecsenyi
D000465:Algorithms; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000592:standards; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011331:Private Practice / Q000592:standards; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care