title: A new perspective on optimal care for patients with COPD.
abstract: Worldwide, clinicians face the task of providing millions of patients with the best possible treatment and management of COPD. Currently, management primarily involves short-term 'here-and-now' goals, targeting immediate patient benefit. However, although there is considerable knowledge available to assist clinicians in minimising the current impact of COPD on patients, relatively little is known about which dominant factors predict future risks. These predictors may vary for different outcomes, such as exacerbations, mortality, co-morbidities, and the long-term consequences of COPD. We propose a new paradigm to achieve 'optimal COPD care' based on the concept that here-and-now goals should be integrated with goals to improve long-term outcomes and reduce future risks. Whilst knowledge on risk factors for poorer outcomes in COPD is growing and some data exist on positive effects of pharmacological interventions, information on defining the benefits of all commonly used interventions for reducing the risk of various future disease outcomes is still scarce. Greater insight is needed into the relationships between the two pillars of optimal COPD care: 'best current control' and 'future risk reduction'. This broader approach to disease management should result in improved care for every COPD patient now and into the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. d.s.postma@long.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Dirkje
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Postma
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anzueto
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Calverley
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Make
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sciurba
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Similowski
authors.forename: Thys
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van der Molen
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000628:therapy*