title: Improving the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: As the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a major burden to the healthcare system and society at large. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment lead to an increased economic burden, with exacerbations being a key driver of costs. COPD symptoms compromise quality of life (QOL), which affects both patients and caregivers. Appropriate management decreases healthcare utiization and improves QOL. This article provides an overview of COPD and promotes understanding of opportunities to optimize patient health and outcomes for those with the disease. Specific interventions that have been demonstrated to improve clinical and economic outcomes for COPD include improved implementation of guidelines, optimized pharmacologic treatment, and risk-factor reduction.
authors.affiliation: Los Angeles Free Clinic, USA.
authors.forename: Ross M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Halbert
mesh_terms: D017281:Cost of Illness; D019468:Disease Management; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D012648:Self Care