title: Providing anticipatory care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: This article describes an initiative pioneered by the Met Office which uses weekly weather forecasts to enable the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) outreach team in Plymouth to target patients most at risk of developing exacerbations. An active management plan is implemented during the winter to help prevent further deterioration in the patient's condition and possible hospital admissions.
authors.affiliation: Chest Clinic, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, Devon. Margaret.Barnett@pcs-tr.swest.nhs.uk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barnett
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D004739:England; D015277:Hotlines / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D014887:Weather