Medical Dialogues
  • Dermatology
Login Register
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
Login Register
  • MD Brand Connect
  • Vaccine Hub
  • MDTV
    • Breaking News
    • Medical News Today
    • Health News Today
    • Latest
    • Journal Club
    • Medico Legal Update
    • Latest Webinars
    • MD Shorts
    • Health Dialogues
  • Fact Check
  • Health Dialogues
Medical Dialogues
  • Medical News & Guidelines
      • Anesthesiology
      • Cardiology and CTVS
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diabetes and Endocrinology
      • ENT
      • Gastroenterology
      • Medicine
      • Nephrology
      • Neurology
      • Obstretics-Gynaecology
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopaedics
      • Pediatrics-Neonatology
      • Psychiatry
      • Pulmonology
      • Radiology
      • Surgery
      • Urology
      • Laboratory Medicine
      • Diet
      • Nursing
      • Paramedical
      • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
      • Doctor News
      • Government Policies
      • Hospital & Diagnostics
      • International Health News
      • Medical Organization News
      • Medico Legal News
      • NBE News
      • NMC News
  • Fact Check
      • Bone Health Fact Check
      • Brain Health Fact Check
      • Cancer Related Fact Check
      • Child Care Fact Check
      • Dental and oral health fact check
      • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
      • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
      • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
      • Fitness fact check
      • Gut health fact check
      • Heart health fact check
      • Kidney health fact check
      • Medical education fact check
      • Men's health fact check
      • Respiratory fact check
      • Skin and hair care fact check
      • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
      • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
    • Homeopathy
    • Siddha
    • Unani
    • Yoga
  • State News
      • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
      • Andhra Pradesh
      • Arunachal Pradesh
      • Assam
      • Bihar
      • Chandigarh
      • Chattisgarh
      • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
      • Daman and Diu
      • Delhi
      • Goa
      • Gujarat
      • Haryana
      • Himachal Pradesh
      • Jammu & Kashmir
      • Jharkhand
      • Karnataka
      • Kerala
      • Ladakh
      • Lakshadweep
      • Madhya Pradesh
      • Maharashtra
      • Manipur
      • Meghalaya
      • Mizoram
      • Nagaland
      • Odisha
      • Puducherry
      • Punjab
      • Rajasthan
      • Sikkim
      • Tamil Nadu
      • Telangana
      • Tripura
      • Uttar Pradesh
      • Uttrakhand
      • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
      • Ayush Education News
      • Dentistry Education News
      • Medical Admission News
      • Medical Colleges News
      • Medical Courses News
      • Medical Universities News
      • Nursing education News
      • Paramedical Education News
      • Study Abroad
  • Industry
      • Health Investment News
      • Health Startup News
      • Medical Devices News
      • Pharma News
      • Pharmacy Education News
      • Industry Perspective
  • MDTV
      • Health Dialogues MDTV
      • Health News today MDTV
      • Latest Videos MDTV
      • Latest Webinars MDTV
      • MD shorts MDTV
      • Medical News Today MDTV
      • Medico Legal Update MDTV
      • Top Videos MDTV
      • Health Perspectives MDTV
      • Journal Club MDTV
      • Medical Dialogues Show
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
LoginRegister
Medical Dialogues
LoginRegister
  • Home
  • Medical news & Guidelines
    • Anesthesiology
    • Cardiology and CTVS
    • Critical Care
    • Dentistry
    • Dermatology
    • Diabetes and Endocrinology
    • ENT
    • Gastroenterology
    • Medicine
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstretics-Gynaecology
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Orthopaedics
    • Pediatrics-Neonatology
    • Psychiatry
    • Pulmonology
    • Radiology
    • Surgery
    • Urology
    • Laboratory Medicine
    • Diet
    • Nursing
    • Paramedical
    • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
    • Doctor News
    • Government Policies
    • Hospital & Diagnostics
    • International Health News
    • Medical Organization News
    • Medico Legal News
    • NBE News
    • NMC News
  • Fact Check
    • Bone Health Fact Check
    • Brain Health Fact Check
    • Cancer Related Fact Check
    • Child Care Fact Check
    • Dental and oral health fact check
    • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
    • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
    • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
    • Fitness fact check
    • Gut health fact check
    • Heart health fact check
    • Kidney health fact check
    • Medical education fact check
    • Men's health fact check
    • Respiratory fact check
    • Skin and hair care fact check
    • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
    • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
      • Ayurveda Giuidelines
      • Ayurveda News
    • Homeopathy
      • Homeopathy Guidelines
      • Homeopathy News
    • Siddha
      • Siddha Guidelines
      • Siddha News
    • Unani
      • Unani Guidelines
      • Unani News
    • Yoga
      • Yoga Guidelines
      • Yoga News
  • State News
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Arunachal Pradesh
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chandigarh
    • Chattisgarh
    • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
    • Daman and Diu
    • Delhi
    • Goa
    • Gujarat
    • Haryana
    • Himachal Pradesh
    • Jammu & Kashmir
    • Jharkhand
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Ladakh
    • Lakshadweep
    • Madhya Pradesh
    • Maharashtra
    • Manipur
    • Meghalaya
    • Mizoram
    • Nagaland
    • Odisha
    • Puducherry
    • Punjab
    • Rajasthan
    • Sikkim
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
    • Tripura
    • Uttar Pradesh
    • Uttrakhand
    • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
    • Ayush Education News
    • Dentistry Education News
    • Medical Admission News
    • Medical Colleges News
    • Medical Courses News
    • Medical Universities News
    • Nursing education News
    • Paramedical Education News
    • Study Abroad
  • Industry
    • Health Investment News
    • Health Startup News
    • Medical Devices News
    • Pharma News
      • CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) News
    • Pharmacy Education News
    • Industry Perspective
  • Home
  • Pulmonology
  • Pulmonology News
  • Specialized Care of...

Specialized Care of Undiagnosed Asthma and COPD Patients Halves Healthcare Utilization and symptom burden: NEJM

Written By : Dr Riya Dave |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2024-05-24T08:30:23+05:30  |  Updated On 24 May 2024 3:06 PM IST
Specialized Care of Undiagnosed Asthma and COPD Patients Halves Healthcare Utilization and symptom burden: NEJM
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Email

Researchers have found that identifying symptomatic individuals with undiagnosed asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and linking them with specialty care significantly reduces healthcare utilization and symptom burden. This finding stems from a randomized trial conducted in Canada, which highlights the benefits of early diagnosis and pulmonologist-directed care. This trial was published in The New England Journal Of Medicine by Aaron SD. and colleagues.

Undiagnosed respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD are common in the community, often leading to poor quality of life and increased healthcare utilization. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can mitigate disease progression and reduce acute care needs. The Undiagnosed COPD and Asthma Population (UCAP) Study aimed to assess the impact of specialist care on healthcare utilization and symptom management in patients with newly diagnosed asthma or COPD.

The UCAP trial involved over a million households near 17 trial sites in Canada, screened through automated telephone calls to identify individuals with respiratory symptoms. Ultimately, 508 adults with newly diagnosed COPD (n=258) or asthma (n=250) were randomized to receive pulmonologist-directed care or usual care with a primary care provider. Participants were followed for one year, and primary outcomes included the annualized rate of healthcare utilization for respiratory illness. Secondary outcomes focused on disease-specific quality of life, symptom burden, and lung function.

• Intervention group had 0.53 vs. 1.12 events per person-year (IRR 0.48, 95% CI 0.36-0.63, P<0.001).

• Significant reduction in primary care visits (0.36 vs. 0.91 per person-year; IRR 0.39, 95% CI 0.29-0.53).

• SGRQ total score improvement of -3.5 points (95% CI -6.0 to -0.9).

• CAT total score improvement of -1.3 points (95% CI -2.4 to -0.1).

• Pre-bronchodilator FEV1 improvement of 94 ml (95% CI 50-138).

• 92% of the intervention group vs. 60% of the usual-care group started new asthma or COPD medications.

• 14% of active smokers in the intervention group quit smoking vs. 7% in the usual care group.

The findings indicate that specialized care significantly reduces healthcare utilization and improves quality of life and lung function in patients with newly diagnosed asthma or COPD. Participants in the intervention group benefited from guideline-based treatment, including medication prescriptions, disease education, behavioral counseling, and recommendations for vaccinations and smoking cessation.

The study revealed some limitations, including potential biases due to the requirement for a registered telephone number and the higher willingness of older adults to participate. The approach may also be less feasible in healthcare systems with limited access to specialty care. Despite these challenges, the results emphasize the potential benefits of early diagnosis and specialized care in managing asthma and COPD.

The UCAP trial demonstrates that linking symptomatic individuals with undiagnosed asthma or COPD to pulmonologist-directed care significantly reduces healthcare utilization and improves disease-specific outcomes. This study highlights the need for effective case-finding strategies and specialized care to enhance the management of respiratory diseases in the community.

Reference:

Aaron, S. D., Vandemheen, K. L., Whitmore, G. A., Bergeron, C., Boulet, L.-P., Côté, A., McIvor, R. A., Penz, E., Field, S. K., Lemière, C., Mayers, I., Bhutani, M., Azher, T., Lougheed, M. D., Gupta, S., Ezer, N., Licskai, C. J., Hernandez, P., Ainslie, M., … Mulpuru, S. (2024). Early diagnosis and treatment of COPD and asthma — A randomized, controlled trial. The New England Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa2401389


The New England Journal Of MedicineAsthmaCOPDhealthcare utilizationpulmonologist-directed careearly diagnosisrespiratory diseaseUCAP trialquality of lifesymptom burdenlung function.
Source : The New England Journal Of Medicine
Dr Riya Dave
Dr Riya Dave

    Dr Riya Dave has completed dentistry from Gujarat University in 2022. She is a dentist and accomplished medical and scientific writer known for her commitment to bridging the gap between clinical expertise and accessible healthcare information. She has been actively involved in writing blogs related to health and wellness.

    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

    Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

    Show Full Article
    Next Story

    Editorial

    Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer - Dr Aditya Murali

    Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer...

    Aspirin in Primary Prevention- When to Consider?

    Aspirin in Primary Prevention- When to Consider?

    Featured image representing medico legal

    What's the Role of Expert Opinion in Medical Negligence?

    7- Point Discharge Protocol for AECOPD: Time to Inculcate in Practice

    7- Point Discharge Protocol for AECOPD: Time to Inculcate in Practice

    Aspirin Use in Women Aged 40-50 with Diabetes and Hypertension: Identifying the Ideal Candidates

    Aspirin Use in Women Aged 40-50 with Diabetes and Hypertension: Identifying the Ideal Candidates

    View All

    Journal Club Today

    Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer - Dr Aditya Murali

    Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer...

    View All

    Health News Today

    Health Bulletin 09/ May/ 2025

    Health Bulletin 09/ May/ 2025

    View All
    © 2022 All Rights Reserved.
    Powered By: Hocalwire
    X
    We use cookies for analytics, advertising and to improve our site. You agree to our use of cookies by continuing to use our site. To know more, see our Cookie Policy and Cookie Settings.Ok