Effects of an integrated care intervention on risk factors of COPD readmission

Clinical pathways for secondary care and the effects on professional practice, patient outcomes, length of stay and hospital costs

BACKGROUND

Clinical pathways (CPWs) are structured multidisciplinary care plans. They aim to translate evidence into practice and optimize clinical outcomes. This is the first update of the previous systematic review (Rotter 2010).

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effect of CPWs on patient outcomes, length of stay, costs and charges, adherence to recommended practice, and to measure the impact of different approaches to implementation of CPWs.

SEARCH METHODS

For this update, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and Embase were searched on 25 July 2024. Two trial registries were searched on 26 July 2024, along with reference checking, citation searching and contacting authors to identify additional studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We considered two groups of participants: health professionals involved in CPW utilization, including (but not limited to) physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, occupational therapists and social workers; and patients managed using a CPW. We included randomized trials, non-randomized trials, controlled before-after (CBA) studies, and interrupted time-series (ITS) studies comparing (1) stand-alone clinical pathways with usual care, and (2) clinical pathways as part of a multifaceted intervention with usual care.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently screened all titles, abstracts and full-text manuscripts to assess eligibility and the methodological quality of included studies using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care 'Risk of Bias' tool. Certainty of evidence was assessed by two authors independently. Interventions were scored as 'high', 'moderate' or 'low' for the evidence-based implementation process.

MAIN RESULTS

The update provided 31 additional studies for a total of 58 included studies (24,841 patients and 2027 healthcare professionals). Forty-one (71%) were randomized trials, four (7%) non-randomized trials, four (7%) CBA studies and nine (16%) ITS studies. Forty-nine studies compared stand-alone CPWs to usual care and nine compared multifaceted interventions including a CPW to usual care. Collectively, the risk of bias was high due to potential contamination by healthcare professionals, lack of blinding of patients and personnel, lack of allocation concealment and selective reporting in ITS studies. Stand-alone clinical pathway interventions It is uncertain whether stand-alone CPWs reduce inhospital mortality (13% v 16%: OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.20; P = 0.27; I² = 65%; 7 randomized trials; n = 4603; low-certainty evidence due to serious imprecision and inconsistency) or mortality (up to 6 months) (4% v 3%: OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.72 to 2.60; P = 0.34; I² = 20%; 3 randomized trials, n = 805; low-certainty evidence due to serious risk of bias and imprecision). Stand-alone CPWs likely reduce inhospital complications (10% v 17%: OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.80; P = 0.001; I² = 52%; 11 randomized trials, n = 3668; moderate-certainty evidence due to serious risk of bias). It is very uncertain whether stand-alone CPWs reduce hospital readmissions (up to 6 months) (9% v 13%: OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.03; P = 0.07; I² = 11%; 9 randomized trials, n = 1578; very low-certainty evidence due to serious risk of bias and very serious imprecision). Stand-alone CPWs likely reduce the length of hospital stay compared to usual care (MD -1.12 days, 95% CI -1.60 to -0.65; P < 0.00001; I² = 64%; 21 studies; n = 5201; moderate-certainty evidence due to serious inconsistency). Costs and charges were generally lower in CPWs as indicated by negative MDs in nine studies (10 studies, n = 2113, data not pooled; very low-certainty evidence due to serious indirectness and very serious inconsistency). Stand-alone CPWs may slightly increase adherence to recommended practice compared with usual care (3 randomized studies, n = 573; data not pooled; low-certainty evidence due to serious risk of bias and serious inconsistency). Multifaceted clinical pathway interventions It is uncertain whether multifaceted CPWs reduce inhospital mortality (2 randomized studies, n = 6304, data not pooled; low-certainty evidence due to very serious inconsistency). Multifaceted CPWs may make little or no difference to mortality (up to 6 months) (9% v 8%: OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.25; P = 0.61; I² = 0%; 3 randomized studies; n = 6531; low-certainty evidence due to serious imprecision and serious risk of bias). It is uncertain whether multifaceted CPWs reduce inhospital complications (9% v 23%: OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.87; 1 study, n = 140; low-certainty evidence due to very serious imprecision). It is uncertain whether multifaceted CPWs reduce hospital readmission (up to 6 months) (2 randomized studies, n =1569, data not pooled; low-certainty evidence due to very serious inconsistency), or length of stay (4 randomized studies, n = 1936, data not pooled; low-certainty evidence due to very serious inconsistency), or hospital costs and charges (4 randomized studies, n = 2015, data not pooled; very low-certainty evidence due to very serious imprecision and serious indirectness in outcome measures). It is uncertain whether multifaceted CPWs increase adherence to recommended practice (2 randomized studies, n = 6304, data not pooled, low-certainty evidence due to very serious inconsistency). Key study characteristics The highest proportion of included studies were from the USA (36%), followed by Australia (10%), China (10%), Japan (5%), the UK (5%), Canada (5%), Italy (5%), and Germany (5%). More than half of the included studies tested CPW in general acute wards (53%), followed by emergency departments (17%), intensive care (14%), and extended-stay facilities (10%). The most common clinical conditions were asthma (16%), stroke (10%), mechanical ventilation (9%) and myocardial infarction (7%).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Stand-alone CPWs are likely to reduce inhospital complications and length of hospital stay and may slightly increase adherence to recommended practice. There was little conclusive evidence for multifaceted CPWs due to mixed results from a limited number of included studies. It is uncertain whether stand-alone CPWs or CPWs, as part of a multifaceted approach, reduce inhospital mortality, mortality (up to 6 months), hospital readmission (up to 6 months) or costs and charges.

Clinical Benefits of Targeting Treatable Traits in Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have long been debated regarding their similarities and differences in clinical presentation and pathology. There has also been a discussion about how common therapeutics should be used differently for each disease. Traditionally, a "one size fits all" stepwise treatment has been chosen based on the severity of each case after categorizing the diseases, such as asthma or COPD. However, recently, the need for a precise approach for the treatment of individual patients beyond the disease category has been emphasized, especially in severe cases. To achieve precise personalized therapy, it has become necessary to focus on the individual phenotypes and underlying causal molecular mechanisms (endotypes) and to identify key therapeutic targets, which are called treatable traits. This review discusses the evidence for the importance of identifying treatable traits and therapeutic strategies based on the broader perspective of chronic obstructive airway disease rather than on individual diseases such as asthma or COPD.

Effect of pneumonia on the outcomes of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To assess the effect of pneumonia on the risk of mortality and other clinical outcomes in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus were screened for observational cohort and case-control studies that reported outcomes in AECOPD patients with and without pneumonia. Pooled effect sizes were reported as relative risks (RR) or hazard ratio (HR) for categorical outcomes and as weighted mean difference (WMD) for continuous outcomes. The primary outcome was mortality. Secondary outcomes were risk of admission to intensive care unit (ICU), need for assisted ventilation and readmission as well as duration of stay at the hospital. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were included. AECOPD patients with pneumonia had significantly higher risk of in-hospital mortality (RR 2.29, 95% CI: 1.40, 3.73), mortality at 1 month (RR 1.84, 95% CI: 1.09, 3.13), and 1 year or more of follow-up (HR 2.30, 95% CI: 1.15, 4.61) compared to AECOPD patients without pneumonia. Pneumonia was associated with significantly higher risk of admission to ICU (RR 2.79, 95% CI: 1.47, 5.28), need for assisted ventilation (RR 2.02, 95% CI: 1.52, 2.67), and longer hospital stay (in days) (WMD 3.31, 95% CI: 2.33, 4.29). The risk of readmission was comparable in the two groups of patients (RR 1.07, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.19). The overall quality of evidence for the outcomes was judged to be "Low".

CONCLUSION

Pneumonia during acute exacerbation of COPD may lead to increases in both short-term and long-term mortality as well as increased hospital stay, need for ventilatory support and admission to ICU. Our findings suggest the need for close monitoring, early intervention, and long-term follow-up, to improve the outcomes in AECOPD patients with concurrent pneumonia.

Overcoming Low Adherence to Chronic Medications by Improving their Effectiveness using a Personalized Second-generation Digital System

INTRODUCTION

Low adherence to chronic treatment regimens is a significant barrier to improving clinical outcomes in patients with chronic diseases. Low adherence is a result of multiple factors.

METHODS

We review the relevant studies on the prevalence of low adherence and present some potential solutions.

RESULTS

This review presents studies on the current measures taken to overcome low adherence, indicating a need for better methods to deal with this problem. The use of first-generation digital systems to improve adherence is mainly based on reminding patients to take their medications, which is one of the reasons they fail to provide a solution for many patients. The establishment of a second-generation artificial intelligence system, which aims to improve the effectiveness of chronic drugs, is described.

CONCLUSION

Improving clinically meaningful outcome measures and disease parameters may increase adherence and improve patients' response to therapy.

Impact of telephone follow-up on COPD outcomes in pulmonary rehabilitation patients: A randomized clinical trial

Background

The educational component is a comprehensive part of Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR), and telephone follow-up (TFU) is an alternative to reinforce face-to-face education. The objective was to determine the effect of telephone follow-up on educational needs, dyspnea, quality of life and functional capacity in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients undergoing PR.

Methods

Double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial in patients with COPD in a PR program in Cali-Colombia, allocation by randomization tables. All patients received 24 sessions of PR, which included face-to-face education sessions. In addition, the experimental group received telephone calls twice a week to reinforce the face-to-face educational content. The Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ) was used to measure disease knowledge, the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire to measure quality of life, the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale to measure dyspnea, and the 6-minute walking test (6MWT) to measure functional capacity.

Results

Thirty-four patients were randomized and 31 were analyzed. PR group with conventional education (PRTE) n=15 and PR group with education plus telephone follow-up (PRTETFU) n=16. Significant improvement from baseline to endpoint in both groups: LINQ (PRTE 4±1.1, p=0.003, PRTETFU 5.8±10.6, p=0.000), mMRC (PRTE 1.6±0.3, p=0.000, PRTETFU 0.6±0.3, p=0.036) and functional capacity (PM6M: PRTE 45.9m±16.1, p=0.013, PRTETFU 62.8m±21.4, p=0.010). Analysis showed differences between groups for changes in LINQ knowledge domain after intervention, with greater improvement for PRTETFU (p=0.018).

Discussion

The TFU is an alternative to reinforce the education. This study demonstrated greater positive effects for the autonomous management of the pathology.

Conclusion

Adding educational reinforcement through phone calls to patients with COPD during PR leads to improved knowledge and skills for managing the disease.

The treatable traits approach to adults with obstructive airways disease in primary and secondary care

The treatable traits approach is based on the recognition that the different clinical phenotypes of asthma and chronic obstructive airways disease (COPD) are a heterogeneous group of conditions with different underlying mechanisms and clinical manifestations, and that the identification and treatment of the specific clinical features or traits facilitates a personalised approach to management. Fundamentally, it recognises two important concepts. Firstly, that treatment for obstructive lung disease can achieve better outcomes if guided by specific clinical characteristics. Secondly, that in patients with a diagnosis of asthma, and/or COPD, poor respiratory health may also be due to numerous overlapping disorders that can present with symptoms that may be indistinguishable from asthma and/or COPD, comorbidities that might require treatment in their own right, and lifestyle or environmental factors that, if addressed, might lead to better control rather than simply increasing airways directed treatment. While these concepts are well accepted, how best to implement this personalised medicine approach in primary and secondary care within existing resource constraints remains uncertain. In this review, we consider the evidence base for this management approach and propose that the priority now is to assess different prototype templates for the identification and management of treatable traits in both asthma and COPD, in primary, secondary and tertiary care, to provide the evidence that will guide their use in clinical practice in different health care systems.

Predictors of Readmission, for Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - A Systematic Review

Introduction

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third-leading cause of death globally and is responsible for over 3 million deaths annually. One of the factors contributing to the significant healthcare burden for these patients is readmission. The aim of this review is to describe significant predictors and prediction scores for all-cause and COPD-related readmission among patients with COPD.

Methods

A search was conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, from database inception to June 7, 2022. Studies were included if they reported on patients at least 40 years old with COPD, readmission data within 1 year, and predictors of readmission. Study quality was assessed. Significant predictors of readmission and the degree of significance, as noted by the p-value, were extracted for each study. This review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022337035).

Results

In total, 242 articles reporting on 16,471,096 patients were included. There was a low risk of bias across the literature. Of these, 153 studies were observational, reporting on predictors; 57 studies were observational studies reporting on interventions; and 32 were randomized controlled trials of interventions. Sixty-four significant predictors for all-cause readmission and 23 for COPD-related readmission were reported across the literature. Significant predictors included 1) pre-admission patient characteristics, such as male sex, prior hospitalization, poor performance status, number and type of comorbidities, and use of long-term oxygen; 2) hospitalization details, such as length of stay, use of corticosteroids, and use of ventilatory support; 3) results of investigations, including anemia, lower FEV1, and higher eosinophil count; and 4) discharge characteristics, including use of home oxygen and discharge to long-term care or a skilled nursing facility.

Conclusion

The findings from this review may enable better predictive modeling and can be used by clinicians to better inform their clinical gestalt of readmission risk.

Effectiveness of internet-based self-management interventions on pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

To investigate the effectiveness of internet-based self-management interventions on pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Eight electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Embase, CINAHL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wangfang and Weipu databases were systematically searched from inception of the database to January 10, 2022.

METHODS

Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 and results were reported as mean difference (MD) or standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Outcomes were the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced volume capacity (FVC) and percent of FEV1/FVC. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess the risk of bias of included studies. The study protocol was not registered.

RESULTS

Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including 476 participants met the inclusion criteria and were included in meta-analysis. It was found that internet-based self-management interventions showed a significant improvement in FVC(L), while FEV1 (%), FEV1 (L), FEV1/FVC (%) and FVC (%) did not significantly improve.

CONCLUSIONS

Internet-based self-management interventions were effective in improving pulmonary function in patients with COPD, caution should be exercised in interpreting the results. RCTs of higher quality are needed in the future to further demonstrate the effectiveness of the intervention.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

It provides evidence for internet-based self-management interventions in improving pulmonary function in patients with COPD.

IMPACT

The results suggested that internet-based self-management interventions could improve the pulmonary function in people with COPD. This study provides a promising alternative method for patients with COPD who have difficulty seeking face-to-face self-management interventions, and the intervention can be applied in clinical settings.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No Patient or Public Contribution.

Effects of self-management interventions with behavior-change support on long-term adherence in patients with chronic respiratory diseases: A systematic review

The aim of this systematic review is to determine the effects of self-management interventions with behavior-change support on medication adherence and smoking cessation in patients with chronic respiratory disease. We also describe the theories of health behavior change and behavior change techniques (BCTs) used to design these interventions and their mode of delivery. The PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Pedro databases were systematically searched for relevant articles published up to November 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effect of self-management interventions with behavior change support on medication adherence, correct inhaler use, and smoking cessation were included. Effect sizes (odds ratios) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated and pooled for random-effect meta-analysis. Of 5,223 articles identified, 15 were RCTs that met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. Five of these RCTs were based on behavior change theory, including social cognitive theory and a transtheoretical model. Between one and eight components of BCTs in Behavior Change Technique (BCT) Taxonomy version1 were included in all interventions. The most frequent BCT components were social support (emotional) (n = 8), instruction on how to perform the behavior (n = 8), and goal setting (behavior) (n = 7). Meta-analysis showed that self-management interventions with behavior change support have positive effects on medication adherence, correct inhaler use, and smoking cessation for more than 6 months after their implementation. This indicates that individually tailored self-management interventions with behavior change support are effective in improving long-term medication adherence and smoking cessation in patients with chronic respiratory disease.

Remote patient monitoring in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Remote patient monitoring allows monitoring high-risk patients through implementation of an expanding number of technologies in coordination with a healthcare team to augment care, with the potential to provide early detection of exacerbation, prompt access to therapy and clinical services, and ultimately improved patient outcomes and decreased healthcare utilization.In this review, we describe the application of remote patient monitoring in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease including the potential benefits and possible barriers to implementation both for the individual and the healthcare system.

Effectiveness of Interventions Targeting Treatable Traits for the Management of Obstructive Airway Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

The management of obstructive airway diseases (OADs) is complex. The treatable traits (TTs) approach may be an effective strategy for managing OADs.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effectiveness of interventions targeting TTs for managing OADs.

METHODS

Ovid Embase, Medline, CENTRAL, and CINAHL Plus were searched from inception to March 9, 2022. Studies of interventions targeting at least 1 TT from pulmonary, extrapulmonary, and behavioral/lifestyle domains were included. Two reviewers independently extracted relevant data and performed risk-of-bias assessments. Meta-analyses were performed using random-effects models. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were carried out to explore heterogeneity and to determine the effects of outlying studies.

RESULTS

Eleven studies that used the TTs approach for OAD management were identified. Traits targeted within each study ranged from 13 to 36. Seven controlled trials were included in meta-analyses. TT interventions were effective at improving health-related quality of life (mean difference [MD] = -6.96, 95% CI: -9.92 to -4.01), hospitalizations (odds ratio [OR] = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.39 to 0.69), all-cause-1-year mortality (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.95), dyspnea score (MD = -0.29, 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.12), anxiety (MD = -1.61, 95% CI: -2.92 to -0.30), and depression (MD = -2.00, 95% CI: -3.53 to -0.47).

CONCLUSION

Characterizing TTs and targeted interventions can improve outcomes in OADs, which offer a promising model of care for OADs.

Self-management interventions for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

Self-management interventions help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to acquire and practise the skills they need to carry out disease-specific medical regimens, guide changes in health behaviour and provide emotional support to enable them to control their disease. Since the 2014 update of this review, several studies have been published.

OBJECTIVES

Primary objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of COPD self-management interventions compared to usual care in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and respiratory-related hospital admissions. To evaluate the safety of COPD self-management interventions compared to usual care in terms of respiratory-related mortality and all-cause mortality. Secondary objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of COPD self-management interventions compared to usual care in terms of other health outcomes and healthcare utilisation. To evaluate effective characteristics of COPD self-management interventions.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Airways Trials Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, trials registries and the reference lists of included studies up until January 2020.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster-randomised trials (CRTs) published since 1995. To be eligible for inclusion, self-management interventions had to include at least two intervention components and include an iterative process between participant and healthcare provider(s) in which goals were formulated and feedback was given on self-management actions by the participant.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently selected studies for inclusion, assessed trial quality and extracted data. We resolved disagreements by reaching consensus or by involving a third review author. We contacted study authors to obtain additional information and missing outcome data where possible. Primary outcomes were health-related quality of life (HRQoL), number of respiratory-related hospital admissions, respiratory-related mortality, and all-cause mortality. When appropriate, we pooled study results using random-effects modelling meta-analyses.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 27 studies involving 6008 participants with COPD. The follow-up time ranged from two-and-a-half to 24 months and the content of the interventions was diverse. Participants' mean age ranged from 57 to 74 years, and the proportion of male participants ranged from 33% to 98%. The post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio of participants ranged from 33.6% to 57.0%. The FEV1/FVC ratio is a measure used to diagnose COPD and to determine the severity of the disease. Studies were conducted on four different continents (Europe (n = 15), North America (n = 8), Asia (n = 1), and Oceania (n = 4); with one study conducted in both Europe and Oceania). Self-management interventions likely improve HRQoL, as measured by the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score (lower score represents better HRQoL) with a mean difference (MD) from usual care of -2.86 points (95% confidence interval (CI) -4.87 to -0.85; 14 studies, 2778 participants; low-quality evidence). The pooled MD of -2.86 did not reach the SGRQ minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of four points. Self-management intervention participants were also at a slightly lower risk for at least one respiratory-related hospital admission (odds ratio (OR) 0.75, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.98; 15 studies, 3263 participants; very low-quality evidence). The number needed to treat to prevent one respiratory-related hospital admission over a mean of 9.75 months' follow-up was 15 (95% CI 8 to 399) for participants with high baseline risk and 26 (95% CI 15 to 677) for participants with low baseline risk. No differences were observed in respiratory-related mortality (risk difference (RD) 0.01, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.04; 8 studies, 1572 participants ; low-quality evidence) and all-cause mortality (RD -0.01, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.01; 24 studies, 5719 participants; low-quality evidence). We graded the evidence to be of 'moderate' to 'very low' quality according to GRADE. All studies had a substantial risk of bias, because of lack of blinding of participants and personnel to the interventions, which is inherently impossible in a self-management intervention. In addition, risk of bias was noticeably increased because of insufficient information regarding a) non-protocol interventions, and b) analyses to estimate the effect of adhering to interventions. Consequently, the highest GRADE evidence score that could be obtained by studies was 'moderate'.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Self-management interventions for people with COPD are associated with improvements in HRQoL, as measured with the SGRQ, and a lower probability of respiratory-related hospital admissions. No excess respiratory-related and all-cause mortality risks were observed, which strengthens the view that COPD self-management interventions are unlikely to cause harm. By using stricter inclusion criteria, we decreased heterogeneity in studies, but also reduced the number of included studies and therefore our capacity to conduct subgroup analyses. Data were therefore still insufficient to reach clear conclusions about effective (intervention) characteristics of COPD self-management interventions. As tailoring of COPD self-management interventions to individuals is desirable, heterogeneity is and will likely remain present in self-management interventions. For future studies, we would urge using only COPD self-management interventions that include iterative interactions between participants and healthcare professionals who are competent using behavioural change techniques (BCTs) to elicit participants' motivation, confidence and competence to positively adapt their health behaviour(s) and develop skills to better manage their disease. In addition, to inform further subgroup and meta-regression analyses and to provide stronger conclusions regarding effective COPD self-management interventions, there is a need for more homogeneity in outcome measures. More attention should be paid to behavioural outcome measures and to providing more detailed, uniform and transparently reported data on self-management intervention components and BCTs. Assessment of outcomes over the long term is also recommended to capture changes in people's behaviour. Finally, information regarding non-protocol interventions as well as analyses to estimate the effect of adhering to interventions should be included to increase the quality of evidence.

Longitudinal association between home and community-based services provision and cognitive function in Chinese older adults: Evidence from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

Few studies have assessed the impact of home and community-based services (HCBSs) provision on cognitive function among older adults over time. This study examined the longitudinal association between HCBSs provision and cognitive function in Chinese older adults. The study included 5,134 participants aged 65 years and older in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey from 2008 to 2014. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to evaluate cognitive function over the same time period. Participants were asked what kind of HCBSs were provided in his or her community. However, they were not asked whether services were utilised. The study used the number of HCBSs provided each wave to represent the strength of HCBSs, and used the MMSE score of each wave to represent the older adults' cognitive function status. A latent growth model was used to explore the relationship between HCBSs provision and cognitive function of older adults. The number of HCBSs provided was positively associated with older adults' cognitive function (2008: β = 0.03, p = 0.031; 2011: β = 0.06, p < 0.001; 2014: β = 0.06, p < 0.001) after controlling for gender, age, residence, education, income, medical insurance, activities of daily living disability, instrumental activities of daily living disability, serious illness, living arrangement and marital status. Results provided longitudinal evidence that an increase in HCBSs provision at a national level can result in better cognitive function in Chinese older adults.

Interventions to improve adherence to pharmacological therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung condition characterised by persistent respiratory symptoms and limited lung airflow, dyspnoea and recurrent exacerbations. Suboptimal therapy or non-adherence may result in limited effectiveness of pharmacological treatments and subsequently poor health outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the efficacy and safety of interventions intended to improve adherence to single or combined pharmacological treatments compared with usual care or interventions that are not intended to improve adherence in people with COPD.

SEARCH METHODS

We identified randomised controlled trials (RCTs) from the Cochrane Airways Trials Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE and Embase (search date 1 May 2020). We also searched web-based clinical trial registers.

SELECTION CRITERIA

RCTs included adults with COPD diagnosed by established criteria (e.g. Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease). Interventions included change to pharmacological treatment regimens, adherence aids, education, behavioural or psychological interventions (e.g. cognitive behavioural therapy), communication or follow-up by a health professional (e.g. telephone, text message or face-to-face), multi-component interventions, and interventions to improve inhaler technique.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard Cochrane methodological procedures. Working in pairs, four review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We assessed confidence in the evidence for each primary outcome using GRADE. Primary outcomes were adherence, quality of life and hospital service utilisation. Adherence measures included the Adherence among Patients with Chronic Disease questionnaire (APCD). Quality of life measures included the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ).

MAIN RESULTS

We included 14 trials (2191 participants) in the analysis with follow-up ranging from six to 52 weeks. Age ranged from 54 to 75 years, and COPD severity ranged from mild to very severe. Trials were conducted in the USA, Spain, Germany, Japan, Jordan, Northern Ireland, Iran, South Korea, China and Belgium. Risk of bias was high due to lack of blinding. Evidence certainty was downgraded due to imprecision and small participant numbers. Single component interventions Six studies (55 to 212 participants) reported single component interventions including changes to pharmacological treatment (different roflumilast doses or different inhaler types), adherence aids (Bluetooth inhaler reminder device), educational (comprehensive verbal instruction), behavioural or psychological (motivational interview). Change in dose of roflumilast may result in little to no difference in adherence (odds ratio (OR) 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22 to 1.99; studies = 1, participants = 55; low certainty). A Bluetooth inhaler reminder device did not improve adherence, but comprehensive verbal instruction from a health professional did improve mean adherence (prescription refills) (mean difference (MD) 1.00, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.54). Motivational interview improved mean adherence scores on the APCD scale (MD 22.22, 95% CI 8.42 to 36.02). Use of a single inhaler compared to two separate inhalers may have little to no impact on quality of life (SGRQ; MD 0.80, 95% CI -3.12 to 4.72; very low certainty). A Bluetooth inhaler monitoring device may provide a small improvement in quality of life on the CCQ (MD 0.40, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.73; very low certainty). Single inhaler use may have little to no impact on the number of people admitted to hospital compared to two separate inhalers (OR 1.47, 95% CI 0.75 to 2.90; very low certainty). Single component interventions may have little to no impact on the number of people expereincing adverse events (very low certainty evidence from studies of a change in pharmacotherapy or use of adherence aids). A change in pharmacotherapy may have little to no impact on exacerbations or deaths (very low certainty). Multi-component interventions Eight studies (30 to 734 participants) reported multi-component interventions including tailored care package that included adherence support as a key component or included inhaler technique as a component. A multi-component intervention may result in more people adhering to pharmacotherapy compared to control at 40.5 weeks (risk ratio (RR) 1.37, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.59; studies = 4, participants = 446; I2 = 0%; low certainty). There may be little to no impact on quality of life (SGRQ, Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire, CAT) (studies = 3; low to very low certainty). Multi-component interventions may help to reduce the number of people admitted to hospital for any cause (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.63; studies = 2, participants = 877; low certainty), or COPD-related hospitalisations (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.34; studies = 2, participants = 220; moderate certainty). There may be a small benefit on people experiencing severe exacerbations. There may be little to no effect on adverse events, serious adverse events or deaths, but events were infrequently reported and were rare (low to very certainty).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Single component interventions (e.g. education or motivational interviewing provided by a health professional) can help to improve adherence to pharmacotherapy (low to very low certainty). There were slight improvements in quality of life with a Bluetooth inhaler device, but evidence is from one study and very low certainty. Change to pharmacotherapy (e.g. single inhaler instead of two, or different doses of roflumilast) has little impact on hospitalisations or exacerbations (very low certainty). There is no difference in people experiencing adverse events (all-cause or COPD-related), or deaths (very low certainty). Multi-component interventions may improve adherence with education, motivational or behavioural components delivered by health professionals (low certainty). There is little to no impact on quality of life (low to very low certainty). They may help reduce the number of people admitted to hospital overall (specifically pharmacist-led approaches) (low certainty), and fewer people may have COPD-related hospital admissions (moderately certainty). There may be a small reduction in people experiencing severe exacerbations, but evidence is from one study (low certainty). Limited evidence found no difference in people experiencing adverse events, serious adverse events or deaths (low to very low certainty). The evidence presented should be interpreted with caution. Larger studies with more intervention types, especially single interventions, are needed. It is unclear which specific COPD subgroups would benefit, therefore discussions between health professionals and patients may help to determine whether they will help to improve health outcomes.

Integrated disease management interventions for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) show considerable variation in symptoms, limitations, and well-being; this often complicates medical care. A multi-disciplinary and multi-component programme that addresses different elements of care could improve quality of life (QoL) and exercise tolerance, while reducing the number of exacerbations.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the effectiveness of integrated disease management (IDM) programmes versus usual care for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in terms of health-related quality of life (QoL), exercise tolerance, and exacerbation-related outcomes.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Airways Group Register of Trials, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL for potentially eligible studies. Searches were current as of September 2020.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared IDM programmes for COPD versus usual care were included. Interventions consisted of multi-disciplinary (two or more healthcare providers) and multi-treatment (two or more components) IDM programmes of at least three months' duration.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. If required, we contacted study authors to request additional data. We performed meta-analyses using random-effects modelling. We carried out sensitivity analyses for the quality of included studies and performed subgroup analyses based on setting, study design, dominant intervention components, and region.

MAIN RESULTS

Along with 26 studies included in the 2013 Cochrane Review, we added 26 studies for this update, resulting in 52 studies involving 21,086 participants for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Follow-up periods ranged between 3 and 48 months and were classified as short-term (up to 6 months), medium-term (6 to 15 months), and long-term (longer than 15 months) follow-up. Studies were conducted in 19 different countries. The mean age of included participants was 67 years, and 66% were male. Participants were treated in all types of healthcare settings, including primary (n =15), secondary (n = 22), and tertiary care (n = 5), and combined primary and secondary care (n = 10). Overall, the level of certainty of evidence was moderate to high. We found that IDM probably improves health-related QoL as measured by St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score at medium-term follow-up (mean difference (MD) -3.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) -6.16 to -1.63; 18 RCTs, 4321 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). A comparable effect was observed at short-term follow-up (MD -3.78, 95% CI -6.29 to -1.28; 16 RCTs, 1788 participants). However, the common effect did not exceed the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) of 4 points. There was no significant difference between IDM and control for long-term follow-up and for generic QoL. IDM probably also leads to a large improvement in maximum and functional exercise capacity, as measured by six-minute walking distance (6MWD), at medium-term follow-up (MD 44.69, 95% CI 24.01 to 65.37; 13 studies, 2071 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). The effect exceeded the MCID of 35 metres and was even greater at short-term (MD 52.26, 95% CI 32.39 to 72.74; 17 RCTs, 1390 participants) and long-term (MD 48.83, 95% CI 16.37 to 80.49; 6 RCTs, 7288 participants) follow-up. The number of participants with respiratory-related admissions was reduced from 324 per 1000 participants in the control group to 235 per 1000 participants in the IDM group (odds ratio (OR) 0.64, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.81; 15 RCTs, median follow-up 12 months, 4207 participants; high-certainty evidence). Likewise, IDM probably results in a reduction in emergency department (ED) visits (OR 0.69, 95%CI 0.50 to 0.93; 9 RCTs, median follow-up 12 months, 8791 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), a slight reduction in all-cause hospital admissions (OR 0.75, 95%CI 0.57 to 0.98; 10 RCTs, median follow-up 12 months, 9030 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), and fewer hospital days per person admitted (MD -2.27, 95% CI -3.98 to -0.56; 14 RCTs, median follow-up 12 months, 3563 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Statistically significant improvement was noted on the Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnoea Scale at short- and medium-term follow-up but not at long-term follow-up. No differences between groups were reported for mortality, courses of antibiotics/prednisolone, dyspnoea, and depression and anxiety scores. Subgroup analysis of dominant intervention components and regions of study suggested context- and intervention-specific effects. However, some subgroup analyses were marked by considerable heterogeneity or included few studies. These results should therefore be interpreted with caution.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review shows that IDM probably results in improvement in disease-specific QoL, exercise capacity, hospital admissions, and hospital days per person. Future research should evaluate which combination of IDM components and which intervention duration are most effective for IDM programmes, and should consider contextual determinants of implementation and treatment effect, including process-related outcomes, long-term follow-up, and cost-effectiveness analyses.

Effectiveness of eHealth Interventions in Improving Medication Adherence for Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or Asthma: Systematic Review

Background

Poor treatment adherence in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma is a global public health concern with severe consequences in terms of patient health and societal costs. A potentially promising tool for addressing poor compliance is eHealth.

Objective

This review investigates the effects of eHealth interventions on medication adherence in patients with COPD or asthma.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted in the databases of Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Embase for studies with publication dates between January 1, 2000, and October 29, 2020. We selected randomized controlled trials targeting adult patients with COPD or asthma, which evaluated the effectiveness of an eHealth intervention on medication adherence. The risk of bias in the included studies was examined using the Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool. The results were narratively reviewed.

Results

In total, six studies focusing on COPD and seven focusing on asthma were analyzed. Interventions were mostly internet-based or telephone-based, and could entail telemonitoring of symptoms and medication adherence, education, counseling, consultations, and self-support modules. Control groups mostly comprised usual care conditions, whereas a small number of studies used a face-to-face intervention or waiting list as the control condition. For COPD, the majority of eHealth interventions were investigated as an add-on to usual care (5/6 studies), whereas for asthma the majority of interventions were investigated as a standalone intervention (5/7 studies). Regarding eHealth interventions targeting medication adherence for COPD, two studies reported nonsignificant effects, one study found a significant effect in comparison to usual care, and three reported mixed results. Of the seven studies that investigated eHealth interventions targeting medication adherence in asthma, three studies found significant effects, two reported nonsignificant effects, and two reported mixed effects.

Conclusions

The mixed results on the effectiveness of eHealth interventions in improving treatment adherence for asthma and COPD are presumably related to the type, context, and intensity of the interventions, as well as to differences in the operationalization and measurement of adherence outcomes. Much remains to be learned about the potential of eHealth to optimize treatment adherence in COPD and asthma.

Telehealth interventions: remote monitoring and consultations for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, including bronchitis and emphysema) is a chronic condition causing shortness of breath, cough, and exacerbations leading to poor health outcomes. Face-to-face visits with health professionals can be hindered by severity of COPD or frailty, and by people living at a distance from their healthcare provider and having limited access to services. Telehealth technologies aimed at providing health care remotely through monitoring and consultations could help to improve health outcomes of people with COPD.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of telehealth interventions that allow remote monitoring and consultation and multi-component interventions for reducing exacerbations and improving quality of life, while reducing dyspnoea symptoms, hospital service utilisation, and death among people with COPD.

SEARCH METHODS

We identified studies from the Cochrane Airways Trials Register. Additional sources searched included the US National Institutes of Health Ongoing Trials Register, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and the IEEEX Xplore Digital Library. The latest search was conducted in April 2020. We used the GRADE approach to judge the certainty of evidence for outcomes.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs) included adults with diagnosed COPD. Asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and other respiratory conditions were excluded. Interventions included remote monitoring or consultation plus usual care, remote monitoring or consultation alone, and mult-component interventions from all care settings. Quality of life scales included St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the COPD Assessment Test (CAT). The dyspnoea symptom scale used was the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire Self-Administered Standardized Scale (CRQ-SAS).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard Cochrane methodological procedures. We assessed confidence in the evidence for each primary outcome using the GRADE method. Primary outcomes were exacerbations, quality of life, dyspnoea symptoms, hospital service utilisation, and mortality; a secondary outcome consisted of adverse events.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 29 studies in the review (5654 participants; male proportion 36% to 96%; female proportion 4% to 61%). Most remote monitoring interventions required participants to transfer measurements using a remote device and later health professional review (asynchronous). Only five interventions transferred data and allowed review by health professionals in real time (synchronous). Studies were at high risk of bias due to lack of blinding, and certainty of evidence ranged from moderate to very low. We found no evidence on comparison of remote consultations with or without usual care. Remote monitoring plus usual care (8 studies, 1033 participants) Very uncertain evidence suggests that remote monitoring plus usual care may have little to no effect on the number of people experiencing exacerbations at 26 weeks or 52 weeks. There may be little to no difference in effect on quality of life (SGRQ) at 26 weeks (very low to low certainty) or on hospitalisation (all-cause or COPD-related; very low certainty). COPD-related hospital re-admissions are probably reduced at 26 weeks (hazard ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.19 to 0.93; 106 participants; moderate certainty). There may be little to no difference in deaths between intervention and usual care (very low certainty). We found no evidence for dyspnoea symptoms or adverse events. Remote monitoring alone (10 studies, 2456 participants) Very uncertain evidence suggests that remote monitoring may result in little to no effect on the number of people experiencing exacerbations at 41 weeks (odds ratio 1.02, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.55). There may be little to no effect on quality of life (SGRQ total at 17 weeks, or CAT at 38 and 52 weeks; very low certainty). There may be little to no effect on dyspnoea symptoms on the CRQ-SAS at 26 weeks (low certainty). There may be no difference in effects on the number of people admitted to hospital (very low certainty) or on deaths (very low certainty). We found no evidence for adverse events. Multi-component interventions with remote monitoring or consultation component (11 studies, 2165 participants) Very uncertain evidence suggests that multi-component interventions may have little to no effect on the number of people experiencing exacerbations at 52 weeks. Quality of life at 13 weeks may improve as seen in SGRQ total score (mean difference -9.70, 95% CI -18.32 to -1.08; 38 participants; low certainty) but not at 26 or 52 weeks (very low certainty). COPD assessment test (CAT) scores may improve at a mean of 38 weeks, but evidence is very uncertain and interventions are varied. There may be little to no effect on the number of people admitted to hospital at 33 weeks (low certainty). Multi-component interventions are likely to result in fewer people re-admitted to hospital at a mean of 39 weeks (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.81; 344 participants, 3 studies; moderate certainty). There may be little to no difference in death at a mean of 40 weeks (very low certainty). There may be little to no effect on people experiencing adverse events (very low certainty). We found no evidence for dyspnoea symptoms.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Remote monitoring plus usual care provided asynchronously may not be beneficial overall compared to usual care alone. Some benefit is seen in reduction of COPD-related hospital re-admissions, but moderate-certainty evidence is based on one study. We have not found any evidence for dyspnoea symptoms nor harms, and there is no difference in fatalities when remote monitoring is provided in addition to usual care. Remote monitoring interventions alone are no better than usual care overall for health outcomes. Multi-component interventions with asynchronous remote monitoring are no better than usual care but may provide short-term benefit for quality of life and may result in fewer re-admissions to hospital for any cause. We are uncertain whether remote monitoring is responsible for the positive impact on re-admissions, and we are unable to discern the long-term benefits of receiving remote monitoring as part of patient care. Owing to paucity of evidence, it is unclear which COPD severity subgroups would benefit from telehealth interventions. Given there is no evidence of harm, telehealth interventions may be beneficial as an additional health resource depending on individual needs based on professional assessment. Larger studies can determine long-term effects of these interventions.

Digital interventions for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with dyspnoea, cough or sputum production (or both) and affects quality of life and functional status. More efficient approaches to alternative management that may include patients themselves managing their condition need further exploration in order to reduce the impact on both patients and healthcare services. Digital interventions may potentially impact on health behaviours and encourage patient engagement.

OBJECTIVES

To assess benefits and harms of digital interventions for managing COPD and apply Behaviour Change Technique (BCT) taxonomy to describe and explore intervention content.

SEARCH METHODS

We identified randomised controlled trials (RCTs) from the Cochrane Airways Trials Register (date of last search 28 April 2020). We found other trials at web-based clinical trials registers.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included RCTs comparing digital technology interventions with or without routine supported self-management to usual care, or control treatment for self-management. Multi-component interventions (of which one component was digital self-management) compared with usual care, standard care or control treatment were included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard Cochrane methods. Two review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Discrepancies were resolved with a third review author. We assessed certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. Primary outcomes were impact on health behaviours, self-efficacy, exacerbations and quality of life, including the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). The minimally important difference (MID) for the SGRQ is 4 points. Two review authors independently applied BCT taxonomy to identify mechanisms in the digital interventions that influence behaviours.

MAIN RESULTS

Fourteen studies were included in the meta-analyses (1518 participants) ranging from 13 to 52 weeks duration. Participants had mild to very severe COPD. Risk of bias was high due to lack of blinding. GRADE ratings were low to very low certainty due to lack of blinding and imprecision. Common BCT clusters identified as behaviour change mechanisms in interventions were goals and planning, feedback and monitoring, social support, shaping knowledge and antecedents. Digital technology intervention with or without routine supported self-management Interventions included mobile phone (three studies), smartphone applications (one study), and web or Internet-based (five studies). Evidence is very uncertain about effects on impact on health behaviours as measured by six-minute walk distance (6MWD) at 13 weeks (mean difference (MD) 26.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) -21.70 to 74.10; participants = 122; studies = 2) or 23 to 26 weeks (MD 14.31, 95% CI -19.41 to 48.03; participants = 164; studies = 3). There may be improvement in 6MWD at 52 weeks (MD 54.33 95% CI -35.47 to 144.12; participants = 204; studies = 2) but studies were varied (very low certainty). There may be no difference in self-efficacy on managing Chronic Disease Scale (SEMCD) or pulmonary rehabilitation adapted index of self-efficacy tool (PRAISE). Evidence is very uncertain. Quality of life may be slightly improved on the chronic respiratory disease questionnaire (CRQ) at 13 weeks (MD 0.45, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.90; participants = 123; studies = 2; low certainty), but is not clinically important (MID 0.5). There may be little or no difference at 23 or 52 weeks (low to very low certainty). There may be a clinical improvement on SGRQ total at 52 weeks (MD -26.57, 95% CI -34.09 to -19.05; participants = 120; studies = 1; low certainty). Evidence for COPD assessment test (CAT) and Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) is very uncertain. There may be little or no difference in dyspnoea symptoms (CRQ dyspnoea) at 13, 23 weeks or 52 weeks (low to very low certainty evidence) or mean number of exacerbations at 26 weeks (low-certainty evidence). There was no evidence for the number of people experiencing adverse events. Multi-component interventions Digital components included mobile phone (one study), and web or internet-based (four studies). Evidence is very uncertain about effects on impact on health behaviour (6MWD) at 13 weeks (MD 99.60, 95% CI -15.23 to 214.43; participants = 20; studies = 1). No evidence was found for self-efficacy. Four studies reported effects on quality of life (SGRQ and CCQ scales). The evidence is very uncertain. There may be no difference in the number of people experiencing exacerbations or mean days to first exacerbation at 52 weeks with a multi-component intervention compared to standard care. Evidence is very uncertain about effects on the number of people experiencing adverse events at 52 weeks.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is insufficient evidence to demonstrate a clear benefit or harm of digital technology interventions with or without supported self-management, or multi-component interventions compared to usual care in improving the 6MWD or self-efficacy. We found there may be some short-term improvement in quality of life with digital interventions, but there is no evidence about whether the effect is sustained long term. Dyspnoea symptoms may improve over a longer duration of digital intervention use. The evidence for multi-component interventions is very uncertain and as there is little or no evidence for adverse events, we cannot determine the benefit or harm of these interventions. The evidence base is predominantly of very low certainty with concerns around high risk of bias due to lack of blinding. Given that variation of interventions and blinding is likely to be a concern, future, larger studies are needed taking these limitations in consideration. Future studies are needed to determine whether the small improvements observed in this review can be applied to the general COPD population. A clear understanding of behaviour change through the BCT classification is important to gauge uptake of digital interventions and health outcomes in people with varying severity of COPD. Currently there is no guidance for interpreting BCT components of a digital intervention for changes to health outcomes. We could not interpret the BCT findings to the health outcomes we were investigating due to limited evidence that was of very low certainty. In future research, standardised approaches need to be considered when designing protocols to investigate effectiveness of digital interventions by including a standardised approach to BCT classification in addition to validated behavioural outcome measures that may reflect changes in behaviour.

The Role of the Pharmacist in Inhaler Selection and Education in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Objective: To review the role of pharmacists in educating and monitoring patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on inhalation technique. Data Sources: A PubMed search (January 2000 to May 2020) was performed using the following keywords and associated medical subject headings: adherence, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/COPD, education, inhaler, pharmacist, and technique. Study Selection and Data Extraction: The search was conducted to identify English language articles highlighting the importance of correct inhaler technique in COPD management and benefits of pharmacist inhaler training such as improved adherence, quality of life (QoL), and disease control. Randomized controlled trials, retrospective studies, observational studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis reporting pharmacist training were included. Data Synthesis: This review summarizes that incorrect inhaler use negatively affects treatment outcomes, prognosis, and QoL. Pharmacists are in a unique position to educate and monitor patients with COPD on optimal inhaler technique and an individualized, multifactorial approach to COPD management involving pharmacists could provide cost-effective patient care and improve adherence and minimize inhaler misuse. Several strategies used by pharmacists can optimize patient inhaler use, such as face-to-face technique demonstrations, the "teach-back" method, telemonitoring, instructional videos, or informational leaflets. An individualized action plan involving education and regular monitoring of inhaler use further enhances optimal adherence and disease management. Conclusions: As pharmacists are easily accessible to both patients and health care providers, they are ideally placed to play an important role in the enhancement of education on, and continuous assessment of, optimal inhaler technique, thereby improving adherence, disease control, and QoL.

Blended Self-Management Interventions to Reduce Disease Burden in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Asthma: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma have a high prevalence and disease burden. Blended self-management interventions, which combine eHealth with face-to-face interventions, can help reduce the disease burden.

Objective

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to examine the effectiveness of blended self-management interventions on health-related effectiveness and process outcomes for people with COPD or asthma.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, COCHRANE Library, Emcare, and Embase were searched in December 2018 and updated in November 2020. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias (ROB) 2 tool and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation.

Results

A total of 15 COPD and 7 asthma randomized controlled trials were included in this study. The meta-analysis of COPD studies found that the blended intervention showed a small improvement in exercise capacity (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.48; 95% CI 0.10-0.85) and a significant improvement in the quality of life (QoL; SMD 0.81; 95% CI 0.11-1.51). Blended intervention also reduced the admission rate (relative ratio [RR] 0.61; 95% CI 0.38-0.97). In the COPD systematic review, regarding the exacerbation frequency, both studies found that the intervention reduced exacerbation frequency (RR 0.38; 95% CI 0.26-0.56). A large effect was found on BMI (d=0.81; 95% CI 0.25-1.34); however, the effect was inconclusive because only 1 study was included. Regarding medication adherence, 2 of 3 studies found a moderate effect (d=0.73; 95% CI 0.50-0.96), and 1 study reported a mixed effect. Regarding self-management ability, 1 study reported a large effect (d=1.15; 95% CI 0.66-1.62), and no effect was reported in that study. No effect was found on other process outcomes. The meta-analysis of asthma studies found that blended intervention had a small improvement in lung function (SMD 0.40; 95% CI 0.18-0.62) and QoL (SMD 0.36; 95% CI 0.21-0.50) and a moderate improvement in asthma control (SMD 0.67; 95% CI 0.40-0.93). A large effect was found on BMI (d=1.42; 95% CI 0.28-2.42) and exercise capacity (d=1.50; 95% CI 0.35-2.50); however, 1 study was included per outcome. There was no effect on other outcomes. Furthermore, the majority of the 22 studies showed some concerns about the ROB, and the quality of evidence varied.

Conclusions

In patients with COPD, the blended self-management interventions had mixed effects on health-related outcomes, with the strongest evidence found for exercise capacity, QoL, and admission rate. Furthermore, the review suggested that the interventions resulted in small effects on lung function and QoL and a moderate effect on asthma control in patients with asthma. There is some evidence for the effectiveness of blended self-management interventions for patients with COPD and asthma; however, more research is needed.

Trial Registration

PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42019119894; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=119894

eHealth Program to Reduce Hospitalizations Due to Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Hospitalization for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with poor prognosis. eHealth interventions might improve outcomes and decrease costs.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an eHealth program on COPD hospitalizations and exacerbations.

METHODS

This was a real-world study conducted from April 2018 to December 2019 in the Bravis Hospital, the Netherlands. An eHealth program (EmmaCOPD) was offered to COPD patients at risk of exacerbations. EmmaCOPD consisted of an app that used questionnaires (to monitor symptoms) and a step counter (to monitor the number of steps) to detect exacerbations. Patients and their buddies received feedback when their symptoms worsened or the number of steps declined. Generalized estimating equations were used to compare the number of days admitted to the hospital and the total number of exacerbations 12 months before and (max) 18 months after the start of EmmaCOPD. We additionally adjusted for the potential confounders of age, sex, COPD severity, and inhaled corticosteroid use.

RESULTS

The 29 included patients had a mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second of 45.5 (SD 17.7) %predicted. In the year before the intervention, the median total number of exacerbations was 2.0 (IQR 2.0-3.0). The median number of hospitalized days was 8.0 days (IQR 6.0-16.5 days). Afterwards, there was a median 1.0 (IQR 0.0-2.0) exacerbation and 2.0 days (IQR 0.0-4.0 days) of hospitalization. After initiation of EmmaCOPD, both the number of hospitalized days and total number of exacerbations decreased significantly (incidence rate ratio 0.209, 95% CI 0.116-0.382; incidence rate ratio 0.310, 95% CI 0.219-0.438). Adjustment for confounders did not affect the results.

CONCLUSIONS

The eHealth program seems to reduce the number of total exacerbations and number of days of hospitalization due to exacerbations of COPD.

Preventing COPD Readmissions Under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: How Far Have We Come?

The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was developed and implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to curb the rate of 30-day hospital readmissions for certain common, high-impact conditions. In October 2014, COPD became a target condition for which hospitals were penalized for excess readmissions. The appropriateness, utility, and potential unintended consequences of the metric have been a topic of debate since it was first enacted. Nevertheless, there is evidence that hospital policies broadly implemented in response to the HRRP may have been responsible for reducing the rate of readmissions following COPD hospitalizations even before it was added as a target condition. Since the addition of the COPD condition to the HRRP, several predictive models have been developed to predict COPD survival and readmissions, with the intention of identifying modifiable risk factors. A number of interventions have also been studied, with mixed results. Bundled care interventions using the electronic health record and patient education interventions for inhaler education have been shown to reduce readmissions, whereas pulmonary rehabilitation, follow-up visits, and self-management programs have not been consistently shown to do the same. Through this program, COPD has become recognized as a public health priority. However, 5 years after COPD became a target condition for HRRP, there continues to be no single intervention that reliably prevents readmissions in this patient population. Further research is needed to understand the long-term effects of the policy, the role of competing risks in measuring quality, the optimal postdischarge care for patients with COPD, and the integrated use of predictive modeling and advanced technologies to prevent COPD readmissions.

Home Care Patients' Experiences with Home Care Nurses' Support in Medication Adherence

PURPOSE

To describe nurses' support interventions for medication adherence, and patients' experiences and desired improvements with this care.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A two-phase study was performed, including an analysis of questionnaire data and conducted interviews with members of the care panel of the Netherlands Patients Federation. The questionnaire assessed 14 types of interventions, satisfaction (score 0-10) with received interventions, needs, experiences, and desired improvements in nurses' support. Interviews further explored experiences and improvements. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a thematic analysis approach.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine participants completed the questionnaire, and 14 of the 59 participants were interviewed. The satisfaction score for interventions was 7.9 (IQR 7-9). The most common interventions were: "noticing when I don't take medication as prescribed" (n = 35), "helping me to find solutions to overcome problems with using medications" (n = 32), "helping me with taking medication" (n = 32), and "explaining the importance of taking medication at the right moment" (n = 32). Fifteen participants missed ≥1 of the 14 interventions. Most mentioned the following: "regularly asking about potential problems with medication use" (33%), "regularly discussing whether using medication is going well" (29%), and "explaining the importance of taking medication at the right moment" (27%). Twenty-two participants experienced the following as positive: improved self-management of adequate medication taking, a professional patient-nurse relationship to discuss adherence problems, and nurses' proactive attitude to arrange practical support for medication use. Thirteen patients experienced the following as negative: insufficient timing of home visits, rushed appearance of nurses, and insufficient expertise about side effects and taking medication. Suggested improvements included performing home visits on time, more time for providing support in medication use, and more expertise about side effects and administering medication.

CONCLUSION

Overall, participants were satisfied, and few participants wanted more interventions. Nurses' support improved participants' self-management of medication taking and enabled patients to discuss their adherence problems. Adequately timed home visits, more time for support, and accurate medication-related knowledge are desired.

Design of pulmonary rehabilitation programmes during acute exacerbations of COPD: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

This systematic review aimed to systematise the different designs used to deliver pulmonary rehabilitation during acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) and explore which ones are the most effective. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO and Cochrane were searched. Randomised controlled trials comparing pulmonary rehabilitation or at least one of its components with usual care or comparing different components of pulmonary rehabilitation were included. Network meta-analysis was conducted in MetaXL 5.3 using a generalised pairwise modelling framework. Pooled effects compared each treatment to usual care. 42 studies were included. Most studies were conducted in an inpatient setting (57%) and started the intervention 24-48 h after hospital admission (24%). Exercise training (71%), education and psychosocial support (57%) and breathing techniques (55%) were the most used components. Studies combining exercise with breathing techniques presented the larger effects on exercise capacity (weighted mean difference (WMD) -41.06, 95% CI -131.70-49.58) and health-related quality of life (WMD 16.07, 95% CI 10.29-21.84), and breathing techniques presented the larger effects on dyspnoea (WMD 1.90, 95% CI 0.53-3.27) and length of hospitalisation (effect size =0.15, 95% CI -0.28-0.57). A few minor adverse events were found.Pulmonary rehabilitation is a safe intervention during AECOPD. Exercise, breathing techniques, and education and psychosocial support seem to be the core components for implementing pulmonary rehabilitation during AECOPD. Studies may now focus on comparisons of optimal timings to start the intervention, total duration of the intervention, duration and frequency of sessions, and intensity for exercise prescription.

Interventions to standardise hospital care at presentation, admission or discharge or to reduce unnecessary admissions or readmissions for patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease that may be punctuated by episodes of worsening symptoms, called exacerbations. Acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) are detrimental to clinical outcomes, reduce patient quality of life and often result in hospitalisation and cost for the health system. Improved diagnosis and management of COPD may reduce the incidence of hospitalisation and death among this population. This scoping review aims to identify improvement interventions designed to standardise the hospital care of patients with AECOPD at presentation, admission and discharge, and/or aim to reduce unnecessary admissions/readmissions.

METHODS

The review followed a published protocol based on methodology set out by Arksey and O'Malley and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Electronic database searches for peer-reviewed primary evidence were conducted in Web of Science, EMBASE (Elsevier) and PubMed. Abstract, full-text screening and data extraction were completed independently by a panel of expert reviewers. Data on type of intervention, implementation supports and clinical outcomes were extracted. Findings were grouped by theme and are presented descriptively.

RESULTS

21 articles met the inclusion criteria. Eight implemented a clinical intervention bundle at admission and/or discharge; six used a multidisciplinary care pathway; five used coordinated case management and two ran a health coaching intervention with patients.

CONCLUSION

The findings indicate that when executed reliably, improvement initiatives are associated with positive outcomes, such as reduction in length of stay, readmissions or use of health resources. Most of the studies reported an improvement in staff compliance with the initiatives and in the patient's understanding of their disease. Implementation supports varied and included quality improvement methodology, multidisciplinary team engagement, staff education and development of written or in-person delivery of patient information. Consideration of the implementation strategy and methods of support will be necessary to enhance the likelihood of success in any future intervention.

Low-dose oral theophylline combined with inhaled corticosteroids for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and high risk of exacerbations: a RCT

BACKGROUND

Despite widespread use of therapies such as inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs), people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) continue to suffer, have reduced life expectancy and utilise considerable NHS resources. Laboratory investigations have demonstrated that at low plasma concentrations (1-5 mg/l) theophylline markedly enhances the anti-inflammatory effects of corticosteroids in COPD.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adding low-dose theophylline to a drug regimen containing ICSs in people with COPD at high risk of exacerbation.

DESIGN

A multicentre, pragmatic, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

SETTING

The trial was conducted in 121 UK primary and secondary care sites.

PARTICIPANTS

People with COPD [i.e. who have a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁)/forced vital capacity (FVC) of < 0.7] currently on a drug regimen including ICSs with a history of two or more exacerbations treated with antibiotics and/or oral corticosteroids (OCSs) in the previous year.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants were randomised (1 : 1) to receive either low-dose theophylline or placebo for 1 year. The dose of theophylline (200 mg once or twice a day) was determined by ideal body weight and smoking status.

PRIMARY OUTCOME

The number of participant-reported exacerbations in the 1-year treatment period that were treated with antibiotics and/or OCSs.

RESULTS

A total of 1578 people were randomised (60% from primary care): 791 to theophylline and 787 to placebo. There were 11 post-randomisation exclusions. Trial medication was prescribed to 1567 participants: 788 in the theophylline arm and 779 in the placebo arm. Participants in the trial arms were well balanced in terms of characteristics. The mean age was 68.4 [standard deviation (SD) 8.4] years, 54% were male, 32% smoked and mean FEV₁ was 51.7% (SD 20.0%) predicted. Primary outcome data were available for 98% of participants: 772 in the theophylline arm and 764 in the placebo arm. There were 1489 person-years of follow-up data. The mean number of exacerbations was 2.24 (SD 1.99) for participants allocated to theophylline and 2.23 (SD 1.97) for participants allocated to placebo [adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91 to 1.08]. Low-dose theophylline had no significant effects on lung function (i.e. FEV₁), incidence of pneumonia, mortality, breathlessness or measures of quality of life or disease impact. Hospital admissions due to COPD exacerbation were less frequent with low-dose theophylline (adjusted IRR 0.72, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.94). However, 39 of the 51 excess hospital admissions in the placebo group were accounted for by 10 participants having three or more exacerbations. There were no differences in the reporting of theophylline side effects between the theophylline and placebo arms.

LIMITATIONS

A higher than expected percentage of participants (26%) ceased trial medication; this was balanced between the theophylline and placebo arms and mitigated by over-recruitment (n = 154 additional participants were recruited) and the high rate of follow-up. The limitation of not using documented exacerbations is addressed by evidence that patient recall is highly reliable and the results of a small within-trial validation study.

CONCLUSION

For people with COPD at high risk of exacerbation, the addition of low-dose oral theophylline to a drug regimen that includes ICSs confers no overall clinical or health economic benefit. This result was evident from the intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses.

FUTURE WORK

To promote consideration of the findings of this trial in national and international COPD guidelines.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN27066620.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 23, No. 37. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

ERS International Congress, Madrid, 2019: highlights from the Allied Respiratory Professionals' Assembly

This article provides an overview of outstanding sessions that were (co)organised by the Allied Respiratory Professionals' Assembly during the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2019 in Madrid, Spain. Session content was mainly targeted at allied respiratory professionals such as respiratory physiologists, respiratory physiotherapists and respiratory nurses, and is summarised in this document. Short take-home messages related to pulmonary function testing highlight the importance of quality control. Furthermore, novel findings regarding the assessment of functional status call attention to bodily factors that can affect functional status. Regarding pulmonary rehabilitation, data were presented about the use of equipment and type of exercise training in COPD and lung cancer. Recent developments in physical activity-related research give insight in enablers of physical activity after hospital admission. The importance of integrated respiratory care was also highlighted, with the occupational therapist, nurse, and nutritional and psychological counsellor playing a pivotal role, which relates directly to research in the field of respiratory nursing that formulates the need for more nursing led-interventions in the future. To conclude, this review provides readers with valuable insight into some of the emerging and future areas affecting clinical practice of allied healthcare professionals.

A highlights review of selected presentations from #ERSCongress 2019 by @ERS_Assembly9http://bit.ly/2VNFgAj

An exploration of community partnerships, safety-net hospitals, and readmission rates

OBJECTIVE

To compare hospital-community partnerships among safety-net hospitals relative to non-safety-net hospitals, and explore whether hospital-community partnerships are associated with reductions in readmission rates.

DATA SOURCES

Data from four nationwide hospital-level datasets for 2015-2016, including American Hospital Association (AHA) annual survey, Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) data, CMS Hospital Compare, and County Health Rankings National (CHRN) data.

STUDY DESIGN

We first examined how safety-net hospitals partner with nine different community providers, and how the overall and individual partnership patterns differ from those in non-safety-net hospitals. We then explored their association with 30-day readmission rates by diagnosis and hospital wide.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

We included 1979 hospitals across 50 US states.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Safety-net hospitals were more engaged in hospital-community partnerships, especially with local public health, local governments, social services, nonprofits, and insurance companies, relative to their non-safety-net peers. However, we found that such partnerships were not significantly related to reductions in readmission rates. The findings indicated that merely partnering with various community organizations may not be associated with readmission rate reduction.

CONCLUSIONS

Before promoting partnerships with various community organizations for its own sake, further prospective, longitudinal, and evidence-based guidance derived from the study of hospital-community partnerships is needed to make meaningful recommendations aimed at readmission rate reduction in safety-net hospitals.

Exploring the psychometric properties of the Rainbow Model of Integrated Care measurement tool for care providers in Australia

OBJECTIVE

To assess the reliability and validity of a shortened version of the Rainbow Model of Integrated Care (RMIC) measurement tool (MT). The original version of the measurement tool has been modified (shortened) for the Australian context.

DESIGN

Validation of the psychometric properties of the RMIC-MT.

SETTING

Healthcare providers providing services to a geographically defined rural area in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

A sample of 56 healthcare providers providing mental and physical healthcare.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The psychometric properties of the tool were tested using principal component analysis for validity and Cronbach's alpha for reliability.

RESULTS

The tool was shown to have good validity and reliability. The 35 items used in the shortened version of the tool were reduced to 29 items grouped into four dimensions: community-governance orientation, normative integration, functional integration and clinical-professional coordination.

CONCLUSIONS

The shortened version of the RMIC-MT is a valid and reliable tool that evaluates integrated care from a healthcare provider's perspective in NSW, Australia. In order to assess the tool's appropriateness in an international context, future studies should focus on validating the tool in other healthcare settings.

Effects of Clinical Pathways for COPD on Patient, Professional, and Systems Outcomes: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

COPD has a substantial burden seen in both patient quality of life and health-care costs. One method of minimizing this burden is the implementation of clinical pathways (CPWs). CPWs bring the best available evidence to a range of health-care professionals by adapting guidelines to a local context and detailing essential steps in care.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted to address the following question: What are the effects of CPWs for COPD on patient-, professional-, and systems-level outcomes? The review used methods outlined by the Cochrane Collaboration. We included all studies that met our operational definition for CPWs and focused on COPD. All studies were evaluated for risk of bias, and all data regarding patient, professional, and systems outcomes were extracted.

RESULTS

The search strategy identified 497 potentially relevant titles. Of these, 13 studies were included in the review. These studies reported a total of 398 outcomes, with sufficient data for meta-analysis of five outcomes: complications, length of stay, mortality, readmissions, and quality of life. Results showed statistically significant reductions in complications, readmissions, and length of stay but did not show changes in mortality or quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review reveals evidence to suggest that CPWs for COPD have the potential to reduce complications, readmissions, and length of stay without negatively influencing mortality or quality of life. However, quality of evidence was generally low. The authors therefore acknowledge that results should be interpreted with caution and note the need for additional research in this area.

Effects of a COPD self-management support intervention: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

This study examines the effects of the COPD-specific health promoting self-management intervention "Better living with COPD" on different self-management-related domains, self-efficacy, and sense of coherence (SOC).

METHODS

In a randomized controlled design, 182 people with COPD were allocated to either an intervention group (offered Better living with COPD in addition to usual care) or a control group (usual care). Self-management-related domains were measured by the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ) before and after intervention. Self-efficacy was measured by the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) and SOC was measured by the 13-item Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13). Effects were assessed by ANCOVA, using intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis and per-protocol analysis (PPA).

RESULTS

The PPA and the ITT analysis showed significant positive changes on Constructive attitudes and approaches (heiQ) (ITT: P=0.0069; PPA: P=0.0021) and Skill and technique acquisition (heiQ) (ITT: P=0.0405; PPA: P=0.0356). Self-monitoring and insight (heiQ) showed significant positive change in the PPA (P=0.0494). No significant changes were found on the other self-management domains (heiQ), self-efficacy (GSE), or SOC (SOC-13).

CONCLUSION

Better living with COPD had a significant positive short-term effect on some self-management-related domains, and could be an intervention contributing to the support of self-management in people with COPD. However, further work is needed to establish the clinical relevance of the findings and to evaluate the long-term effects.

Effect of Theophylline as Adjunct to Inhaled Corticosteroids on Exacerbations in Patients With COPD: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major global health issue and theophylline is used extensively. Preclinical investigations have demonstrated that low plasma concentrations (1-5 mg/L) of theophylline enhance antiinflammatory effects of corticosteroids in COPD.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effectiveness of adding low-dose theophylline to inhaled corticosteroids in COPD.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

The TWICS (theophylline with inhaled corticosteroids) trial was a pragmatic, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial that enrolled patients with COPD between February 6, 2014, and August 31, 2016. Final follow-up ended on August 31, 2017. Participants had a ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) of less than 0.7 with at least 2 exacerbations (treated with antibiotics, oral corticosteroids, or both) in the previous year and were using an inhaled corticosteroid. This study included 1578 participants in 121 UK primary and secondary care sites.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants were randomized to receive low-dose theophylline (200 mg once or twice per day) to provide plasma concentrations of 1 to 5 mg/L (determined by ideal body weight and smoking status) (n = 791) or placebo (n = 787).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The number of participant-reported moderate or severe exacerbations treated with antibiotics, oral corticosteroids, or both over the 1-year treatment period.

RESULTS

Of the 1567 participants analyzed, mean (SD) age was 68.4 (8.4) years and 54% (843) were men. Data for evaluation of the primary outcome were available for 1536 participants (98%) (772 in the theophylline group; 764 in the placebo group). In total, there were 3430 exacerbations: 1727 in the theophylline group (mean, 2.24 [95% CI, 2.10-2.38] exacerbations per year) vs 1703 in the placebo group (mean, 2.23 [95% CI, 2.09-2.37] exacerbations per year); unadjusted mean difference, 0.01 (95% CI, -0.19 to 0.21) and adjusted incidence rate ratio, 0.99 (95% CI, 0.91-1.08). Serious adverse events in the theophylline and placebo groups included cardiac, 2.4% vs 3.4%; gastrointestinal, 2.7% vs 1.3%; and adverse reactions such as nausea (10.9% vs 7.9%) and headaches (9.0% vs 7.9%).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among adults with COPD at high risk of exacerbation treated with inhaled corticosteroids, the addition of low-dose theophylline, compared with placebo, did not reduce the number COPD exacerbations over a 1-year period. The findings do not support the use of low-dose theophylline as adjunctive therapy to inhaled corticosteroids for the prevention of COPD exacerbations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN27066620.

Interventions to increase influenza vaccination rates of those 60 years and older in the community

BACKGROUND

The effectiveness of interventions to increase influenza vaccination uptake in people aged 60 years and older varies by country and participant characteristics. This review updates versions published in 2010 and 2014.

OBJECTIVES

To assess access, provider, system, and societal interventions to increase the uptake of influenza vaccination in people aged 60 years and older in the community.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, which includes the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group's Specialised Register, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and ERIC for this update, as well as WHO ICTRP and ClinicalTrials.gov for ongoing studies to 7 December 2017. We also searched the reference lists of included studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster-randomised trials of interventions to increase influenza vaccination in people aged 60 years or older in the community.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures as specified by Cochrane.

MAIN RESULTS

We included three new RCTs for this update (total 61 RCTs; 1,055,337 participants). Trials involved people aged 60 years and older living in the community in high-income countries. Heterogeneity limited some meta-analyses. We assessed studies as at low risk of bias for randomisation (38%), allocation concealment (11%), blinding (44%), and selective reporting (100%). Half (51%) had missing data. We assessed the evidence as low-quality. We identified three levels of intervention intensity: low (e.g. postcards), medium (e.g. personalised phone calls), and high (e.g. home visits, facilitators).Increasing community demand (12 strategies, 41 trials, 53 study arms, 767,460 participants)One successful intervention that could be meta-analysed was client reminders or recalls by letter plus leaflet or postcard compared to reminder (odds ratio (OR) 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07 to 1.15; 3 studies; 64,200 participants). Successful interventions tested by single studies were patient outreach by retired teachers (OR 3.33, 95% CI 1.79 to 6.22); invitations by clinic receptionists (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.55 to 4.76); nurses or pharmacists educating and nurses vaccinating patients (OR 152.95, 95% CI 9.39 to 2490.67); medical students counselling patients (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.35); and multiple recall questionnaires (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.24).Some interventions could not be meta-analysed due to significant heterogeneity: 17 studies tested simple reminders (11 with 95% CI entirely above unity); 16 tested personalised reminders (12 with 95% CI entirely above unity); two investigated customised compared to form letters (both 95% CI above unity); and four studies examined the impact of health risk appraisals (all had 95% CI above unity). One study of a lottery for free groceries was not effective.Enhancing vaccination access (6 strategies, 8 trials, 10 arms, 9353 participants)We meta-analysed results from two studies of home visits (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.61) and two studies that tested free vaccine compared to patient payment for vaccine (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.98 to 2.82). We were unable to conduct meta-analyses of two studies of home visits by nurses plus a physician care plan (both with 95% CI above unity) and two studies of free vaccine compared to no intervention (both with 95% CI above unity). One study of group visits (OR 27.2, 95% CI 1.60 to 463.3) was effective, and one study of home visits compared to safety interventions was not.Provider- or system-based interventions (11 strategies, 15 trials, 17 arms, 278,524 participants)One successful intervention that could be meta-analysed focused on payments to physicians (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.77 to 2.77). Successful interventions tested by individual studies were: reminding physicians to vaccinate all patients (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.53 to 3.99); posters in clinics presenting vaccination rates and encouraging competition between doctors (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.86 to 2.22); and chart reviews and benchmarking to the rates achieved by the top 10% of physicians (OR 3.43, 95% CI 2.37 to 4.97).We were unable to meta-analyse four studies that looked at physician reminders (three studies with 95% CI above unity) and three studies of facilitator encouragement of vaccination (two studies with 95% CI above unity). Interventions that were not effective were: comparing letters on discharge from hospital to letters to general practitioners; posters plus postcards versus posters alone; educational reminders, academic detailing, and peer comparisons compared to mailed educational materials; educational outreach plus feedback to teams versus written feedback; and an intervention to increase staff vaccination rates.Interventions at the societal levelNo studies reported on societal-level interventions.Study funding sourcesStudies were funded by government health organisations (n = 33), foundations (n = 9), organisations that provided healthcare services in the studies (n = 3), and a pharmaceutical company offering free vaccines (n = 1). Fifteen studies did not report study funding sources.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We identified interventions that demonstrated significant positive effects of low (postcards), medium (personalised phone calls), and high (home visits, facilitators) intensity that increase community demand for vaccination, enhance access, and improve provider/system response. The overall GRADE assessment of the evidence was moderate quality. Conclusions are unchanged from the 2014 review.

Implementation of Home Hospitalization and Early Discharge as an Integrated Care Service: A Ten Years Pragmatic Assessment

Home Hospitalization has proven efficacy, but its effectiveness and potential as an Integrated Care Service in a real world setting deserves to be explored.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate implementation and 10 years follow-up of Home Hospitalization and Early Discharge as an Integrated Care Service in an urban healthcare district in Barcelona.

METHODS

Prospective study with pragmatic assessment. Patients: Surgical and medical acute and exacerbated chronic patients requiring admission into a highly specialized hospital, from 2006 to 2015. Intervention: Home-based individualized care plan, administered as a hospital-based outreach service, aiming at substituting hospitalization and implementing a transitional care strategy for optimal discharge. Main measurements: Emergency Department, readmissions and mortality. Patients' and professionals' perspectives, technologies and costs were evaluated.

RESULTS

4,165 admissions (71 ± 15 yrs; Charlson Index 4 ± 3). In-hospital stay was 1 (0-3) days and the length of home-based stay was 6 (5-7) days. The 30-day readmission rate was 11% and mortality was 2%. Patients, careers and health professionals expressed high levels of satisfaction (98%). At the start, the service was reimbursed at a flat rate of 918€ per patient discharged, significantly lower than conventional hospitalization (2,879€) but still allowing the hospital to keep a balanced budget. At present, there is no difference in the payment schemes for both types of services.

CONCLUSIONS

The service freed an average of 6 in-hospital days per patient. The program showed health value generation, as well as potential for synergies with community-based Integrated Care Services.

[Is the introduction of clinical management programs for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease useful? Comparison of the effectiveness of two interventions on the clinical progress and care received]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of two management programs on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

DESIGN

A study with a quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of two interventions (I1, I2) for the care of patients with COPD after a mean follow-up of 31.2months.

SETTING

Primary Care Centres in two Barcelona Health Areas and their referral hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with COPD selected by simple random sampling using any disease code corresponding to COPD.

INTERVENTIONS

I1: Integrated management program that was optimised and coordinated the resources. Training was given, as well as quality control of spirometry. I2: Isolated interventions like a call-centre. Care circuits and computerised clinical notes were shared.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS

Variables were recorded as regards lung function, severity, use of inhalers, lifestyles, quality of life, and exacerbations.

RESULTS

Of the 393 patients evaluated at the beginning, 120 and 104 (I1 and I2, respectively) received the final evaluation. With I1, there was a reduction in patients who smoked (P=.034). Lung function and quality of life did not change significantly in either group, but shortness of breath was slightly worse. There was an increase in the correct use of inhalers, although it only reached 48% and 61% with interventions I1 and I2, respectively. The percentage of patients with exacerbations decreased with I1 compared to that of I2 (P<.001), and there were less hospital admissions due to exacerbations with I2 compared to I1 (P<.003]).

CONCLUSIONS

Both interventions achieved significant improvements, and no overall worsening of a chronic and progressive disease as is COPD.

Effects of telephone support on exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a meta-analysis

The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of disease education or pulmonary rehabilitation programs assisted with telephone support on physical capacity and quality of life (QOL) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library was conducted until May 2017. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of telephone-assisted intervention versus a control group on exercise tolerance and QOL in patients with COPD were included. Two independent authors assessed the methodological quality of the trials using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A meta-analysis was conducted with the Revman5.3 to quantify the effects of telephone-assisted interventions on walking capacity and QOL. In total, 10 studies involving 1037 participants were included. Due to the effect of telephone-assisted interventions, statistically significant results were found on Saint-George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) symptom scores [standard mean difference (SMD) -.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) -.33, -.03, p-value .02)], SGRQ impact scores [SMD -.35, 95% CI -.60, -.10, p-value .006)], SGRQ activity scores [SMD -.30, 95% CI -.45, -.15, p-value < .0001)], SGRQ total score [SMD -.36, 95% CI -.51, -.21, p-value < .00001)]. The effects on 6-min walk test (6MWT) and all Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) subscales were not significant (p > .05) based on the insufficient evidence. In conclusion, the role of telephone-assisted interventions in the management of COPD remains equivocal. Some encouraging results were seen with regard to SGRQ symptom, SGRQ impact, SGRQ activity and SGRQ total score. We believe that more methodologically rigorous large-scale randomized controlled trials are necessary to answer this study question.

Implications of DRG Classification in a Bundled Payment Initiative for COPD

OBJECTIVES

Institutions participating in the Medicare Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative invest significantly in efforts to reduce readmissions and costs for patients who are included in the program. Eligibility for the BPCI initiative is determined by diagnosis-related group (DRG) classification. The implications of this methodology for chronic diseases are not known. We hypothesized that patients included in a BPCI initiative for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) would have less severe illness and decreased hospital utilization compared with those excluded from the bundled payment initiative.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective observational study.

METHODS

We sought to determine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Medicare patients admitted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital with acute exacerbations of COPD between 2012 and 2014 who were included and excluded in a BPCI initiative. Patients were included in the analysis if they were discharged with a COPD DRG or with a non-COPD DRG but with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code for COPD exacerbation.

RESULTS

Six hundred and ninety-eight unique patients were discharged for an acute exacerbation of COPD; 239 (34.2%) were not classified into a COPD DRG and thus were excluded from the BPCI initiative. These patients were more likely to have intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (63.2% vs 4.4%, respectively; P <.001) and require noninvasive (46.9% vs 6.5%; P <.001) and invasive mechanical ventilation (41.4% vs 0.7%; P <.001) during their hospitalization than those in the initiative. They also had a longer ICU length of stay (5.2 vs 1.8 days; P = .011), longer hospital length of stay (10.3 days vs 3.9 days; P <.001), higher in-hospital mortality (14.6% vs 0.7%; P <.001), and greater hospitalization costs (median = $13,677 [interquartile range = $7489-$23,054] vs $4281 [$2718-$6537]; P <.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of DRGs to identify patients with COPD for inclusion in the BPCI initiative led to the exclusion of more than one-third of patients with acute exacerbations who had more severe illness and worse outcomes and who may benefit most from the additional interventions provided by the initiative.

A Methodological Framework for the Integrated Design of Decision-Intensive Care Pathways-an Application to the Management of COPD Patients

Healthcare processes are by nature complex, mostly due to their multidisciplinary character that requires continuous coordination between care providers. They encompass both organizational and clinical tasks, the latter ones driven by medical knowledge, which is inherently incomplete and distributed among people having different expertise and roles. Care pathways refer to planning and coordination of care processes related to specific groups of patients in a given setting. The goal in defining and following care pathways is to improve the quality of care in terms of patient satisfaction, costs reduction, and medical outcome. Thus, care pathways are a promising methodological tool for standardizing care and decision-making. Business process management techniques can successfully be used for representing organizational aspects of care pathways in a standard, readable, and accessible way, while supporting process development, analysis, and re-engineering. In this paper, we introduce a methodological framework that fosters the integrated design, implementation, and enactment of care processes and related decisions, while considering proper representation and management of organizational and clinical information. We focus here and discuss in detail the design phase, which encompasses the simulation of care pathways. We show how business process model and notation (BPMN) and decision model and notation (DMN) can be combined for supporting intertwined aspects of decision-intensive care pathways. As a proof-of-concept, the proposed methodology has been applied to design care pathways related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the region of Veneto, in Italy.

Institutionalisation of the case management nurse in Spain. Comparative analysis of health systems of the Spanish autonomous communities

Care of chronicity is a pressing issue for health systems because of its high prevalence and the organisational challenges that it generates. Different countries solve the complexity of the care of chronicity through case management by the nursing profession, obtaining good results. This paper analyses the status of institutionalisation of the case management nurse in Spain through the design of a reference standard to compare between the autonomous communities in their approach to chronicity. Thus, we sought to monitor the degree of progress of the institutional structure of the policies for the care of chronicity in our country through this healthcare professional. Our results showed that no autonomous community has reached the maximum standard of implementation and that the situation is very heterogeneous, confirming a weak and erratic degree of institutionalisation of the case management nurse in Spain despite the formal recognition of their role in patient care.

Nurse interventions to improve medication adherence among discharged older adults: a systematic review

Background

discharged older adult inpatients are often prescribed numerous medications. However, they only take about half of their medications and many stop treatments entirely. Nurse interventions could improve medication adherence among this population.

Objective

to conduct a systematic review of trials that assessed the effects of nursing interventions to improve medication adherence among discharged, home-dwelling and older adults.

Method

we conducted a systematic review according to the methods in the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook and reported results according to the PRISMA statement. We searched for controlled clinical trials (CCTs) and randomised CCTs (RCTs), published up to 8 November 2016 (using electronic databases, grey literature and hand searching), that evaluated the effects of nurse interventions conducted alone or in collaboration with other health professionals to improve medication adherence among discharged older adults. Medication adherence was defined as the extent to which a patient takes medication as prescribed.

Results

out of 1,546 records identified, 82 full-text papers were evaluated and 14 studies were included-11 RCTs and 2 CCTs. Overall, 2,028 patients were included (995 in intervention groups; 1,033 in usual-care groups). Interventions were nurse-led in seven studies and nurse-collaborative in seven more. In nine studies, adherence was higher in the intervention group than in the usual-care group, with the difference reaching statistical significance in eight studies. There was no substantial difference in increased medication adherence whether interventions were nurse-led or nurse-collaborative. Four of the 14 studies were of relatively high quality.

Conclusion

nurse-led and nurse-collaborative interventions moderately improved adherence among discharged older adults. There is a need for large, well-designed studies using highly reliable tools for measuring medication adherence.

Self-management interventions including action plans for exacerbations versus usual care in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) self-management interventions should be structured but personalised and often multi-component, with goals of motivating, engaging and supporting the patients to positively adapt their behaviour(s) and develop skills to better manage disease. Exacerbation action plans are considered to be a key component of COPD self-management interventions. Studies assessing these interventions show contradictory results. In this Cochrane Review, we compared the effectiveness of COPD self-management interventions that include action plans for acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) with usual care.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of COPD-specific self-management interventions that include an action plan for exacerbations of COPD compared with usual care in terms of health-related quality of life, respiratory-related hospital admissions and other health outcomes.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register of trials, trials registries, and the reference lists of included studies to May 2016.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials evaluating a self-management intervention for people with COPD published since 1995. To be eligible for inclusion, the self-management intervention included a written action plan for AECOPD and an iterative process between participant and healthcare provider(s) in which feedback was provided. We excluded disease management programmes classified as pulmonary rehabilitation or exercise classes offered in a hospital, at a rehabilitation centre, or in a community-based setting to avoid overlap with pulmonary rehabilitation as much as possible.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We resolved disagreements by reaching consensus or by involving a third review author. Study authors were contacted to obtain additional information and missing outcome data where possible. When appropriate, study results were pooled using a random-effects modelling meta-analysis. The primary outcomes of the review were health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and number of respiratory-related hospital admissions.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 22 studies that involved 3,854 participants with COPD. The studies compared the effectiveness of COPD self-management interventions that included an action plan for AECOPD with usual care. The follow-up time ranged from two to 24 months and the content of the interventions was diverse.Over 12 months, there was a statistically significant beneficial effect of self-management interventions with action plans on HRQoL, as measured by the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score, where a lower score represents better HRQoL. We found a mean difference from usual care of -2.69 points (95% CI -4.49 to -0.90; 1,582 participants; 10 studies; high-quality evidence). Intervention participants were at a statistically significant lower risk for at least one respiratory-related hospital admission compared with participants who received usual care (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.94; 3,157 participants; 14 studies; moderate-quality evidence). The number needed to treat to prevent one respiratory-related hospital admission over one year was 12 (95% CI 7 to 69) for participants with high baseline risk and 17 (95% CI 11 to 93) for participants with low baseline risk (based on the seven studies with the highest and lowest baseline risk respectively).There was no statistically significant difference in the probability of at least one all-cause hospital admission in the self-management intervention group compared to the usual care group (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.54 to 1.03; 2467 participants; 14 studies; moderate-quality evidence). Furthermore, we observed no statistically significant difference in the number of all-cause hospitalisation days, emergency department visits, General Practitioner visits, and dyspnoea scores as measured by the (modified) Medical Research Council questionnaire for self-management intervention participants compared to usual care participants. There was no statistically significant effect observed from self-management on the number of COPD exacerbations and no difference in all-cause mortality observed (RD 0.0019, 95% CI -0.0225 to 0.0263; 3296 participants; 16 studies; moderate-quality evidence). Exploratory analysis showed a very small, but significantly higher respiratory-related mortality rate in the self-management intervention group compared to the usual care group (RD 0.028, 95% CI 0.0049 to 0.0511; 1219 participants; 7 studies; very low-quality evidence).Subgroup analyses showed significant improvements in HRQoL in self-management interventions with a smoking cessation programme (MD -4.98, 95% CI -7.17 to -2.78) compared to studies without a smoking cessation programme (MD -1.33, 95% CI -2.94 to 0.27, test for subgroup differences: Chi² = 6.89, df = 1, P = 0.009, I² = 85.5%). The number of behavioural change techniques clusters integrated in the self-management intervention, the duration of the intervention and adaptation of maintenance medication as part of the action plan did not affect HRQoL. Subgroup analyses did not detect any potential variables to explain differences in respiratory-related hospital admissions among studies.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Self-management interventions that include a COPD exacerbation action plan are associated with improvements in HRQoL, as measured with the SGRQ, and lower probability of respiratory-related hospital admissions. No excess all-cause mortality risk was observed, but exploratory analysis showed a small, but significantly higher respiratory-related mortality rate for self-management compared to usual care.For future studies, we would like to urge only using action plans together with self-management interventions that meet the requirements of the most recent COPD self-management intervention definition. To increase transparency, future study authors should provide more detailed information regarding interventions provided. This would help inform further subgroup analyses and increase the ability to provide stronger recommendations regarding effective self-management interventions that include action plans for AECOPD. For safety reasons, COPD self-management action plans should take into account comorbidities when used in the wider population of people with COPD who have comorbidities. Although we were unable to evaluate this strategy in this review, it can be expected to further increase the safety of self-management interventions. We also advise to involve Data and Safety Monitoring Boards for future COPD self-management studies.

Effectiveness of disease-specific self-management education on health outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To update a previously published systematic review on the effectiveness of self-management education (SME) for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS

Electronic databases were accessed (from inception to July 2016) to find relevant randomized controlled trials. Studies that compared SME with routine methods of care in COPD patients were retrieved. Both data synthesis and descriptive analysis were used for outcome assessment (e.g. quality of life and healthcare utilization).

RESULTS

Twenty-four studies were included. Data synthesis showed better quality of life among COPD patients receiving SME. Significant reductions in COPD-related hospital admissions and emergency department visits were identified in the SME group. SME may positively affect the reduction of COPD patients' emotional distress. No significant reduction in smoking rate and mortality rate was observed between groups. No clear evidence supports the improvement of pulmonary functions, dyspnea, and nutritional status in COPD patients with the use of SME.

CONCLUSION

SME can be a useful strategy to improve quality of life and disease-specific knowledge in patients with COPD. It also reduces respiratory-related hospital admissions and emergency department visits in COPD patients.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Inclusion of SME as one of the key components for the comprehensive management of COPD is encouraged.

The Effectiveness of Information Technology-Supported Shared Care for Patients With Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review

Background

In patients with chronic disease, many health care professionals are involved during treatment and follow-up. This leads to fragmentation that in turn may lead to suboptimal care. Shared care is a means to improve the integration of care delivered by various providers, specifically primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialty care professionals, for patients with chronic disease. The use of information technology (IT) in this field seems promising.

Objective

Our aim was to systematically review the literature regarding the effectiveness of IT-supported shared care interventions in chronic disease in terms of provider or professional, process, health or clinical and financial outcomes. Additionally, our aim was to provide an inventory of the IT applications' characteristics that support such interventions.

Methods

PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE were searched from 2006 to 2015 to identify relevant studies using search terms related to shared care, chronic disease, and IT. Eligible studies were in the English language, and the randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled trials, or single group pre-post studies used reported on the effects of IT-supported shared care in patients with chronic disease and cancer. The interventions had to involve providers from both primary and specialty health care. Intervention and IT characteristics and effectiveness—in terms of provider or professional (proximal), process (intermediate), health or clinical and financial (distal) outcomes—were extracted. Risk of bias of (cluster) RCTs was assessed using the Cochrane tool.

Results

The initial search yielded 4167 results. Thirteen publications were used, including 11 (cluster) RCTs, a controlled trial, and a pre-post feasibility study. Four main categories of IT applications were identified: (1) electronic decision support tools, (2) electronic platform with a call-center, (3) electronic health records, and (4) electronic communication applications. Positive effects were found for decision support-based interventions on financial and health outcomes, such as physical activity. Electronic health record use improved PCP visits and reduced rehospitalization. Electronic platform use resulted in fewer readmissions and better clinical outcomes—for example, in terms of body mass index (BMI) and dyspnea. The use of electronic communication applications using text-based information transfer between professionals had a positive effect on the number of PCPs contacting hospitals, PCPs’ satisfaction, and confidence.

Conclusions

IT-supported shared care can improve proximal outcomes, such as confidence and satisfaction of PCPs, especially in using electronic communication applications. Positive effects on intermediate and distal outcomes were also reported but were mixed. Surprisingly, few studies were found that substantiated these anticipated benefits. Studies showed a large heterogeneity in the included populations, outcome measures, and IT applications used. Therefore, a firm conclusion cannot be drawn. As IT applications are developed and implemented rapidly, evidence is needed to test the specific added value of IT in shared care interventions. This is expected to require innovative research methods.

Adherence to COPD treatment: Myth and reality

COPD is a chronic disease in which effective management requires long-term adherence to pharmacotherapies but the level of adhesion to the prescribed medications is very low and this has a negative influence on outcomes. There are several approaches to detect non-adherence, such as pharmacy refill methods, electronic monitoring, and self-report measures, but they are all burdened with important limitations. Medication adherence in COPD is multifactorial and is affected by patients (health beliefs, cognitive abilities, self-efficacy, comorbidities, psychological profile, conscientiousness), physicians (method of administration, dosing regimen, polypharmacy, side effects), and society (patient-prescriber relationship, social support, access to medication, device training, follow-up). Patient-health care professional communication, especially that between patient and physician or pharmacist, is central to optimizing patient adherence. However, the most realistic approach is to keep in mind that non-adherence is always possible, indeed, probable.

Features of self-management interventions for people with COPD associated with improved health-related quality of life and reduced emergency department visits: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Self-management interventions (SMIs) are recommended for individuals with COPD to help monitor symptoms and optimize health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, SMIs vary widely in content, delivery, and intensity, making it unclear which methods and techniques are associated with improved outcomes. This systematic review aimed to summarize the current evidence base surrounding the effectiveness of SMIs for improving HRQOL in people with COPD.

METHODS

Systematic reviews that focused upon SMIs were eligible for inclusion. Intervention descriptions were coded for behavior change techniques (BCTs) that targeted self-management behaviors to address 1) symptoms, 2) physical activity, and 3) mental health. Meta-analyses and meta-regression were used to explore the association between health behaviors targeted by SMIs, the BCTs used, patient illness severity, and modes of delivery, with the impact on HRQOL and emergency department (ED) visits.

RESULTS

Data related to SMI content were extracted from 26 randomized controlled trials identified from 11 systematic reviews. Patients receiving SMIs reported improved HRQOL (standardized mean difference =-0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] =-0.25, -0.07; P=0.001) and made fewer ED visits (standardized mean difference =-0.13; 95% CI =-0.23, -0.03; P=0.02) compared to patients who received usual care. Patients receiving SMIs targeting mental health alongside symptom management had greater improvement of HRQOL (Q=4.37; P=0.04) and fewer ED visits (Q=5.95; P=0.02) than patients receiving SMIs focused on symptom management alone. Within-group analyses showed that HRQOL was significantly improved in 1) studies with COPD patients with severe symptoms, 2) single-practitioner based SMIs but not SMIs delivered by a multidisciplinary team, 3) SMIs with multiple sessions but not single session SMIs, and 4) both individual- and group-based SMIs.

CONCLUSION

SMIs can be effective at improving HRQOL and reducing ED visits, with those targeting mental health being significantly more effective than those targeting symptom management alone.

Shared care across the interface between primary and specialty care in management of long term conditions

BACKGROUND

Shared care has been used in the management of many chronic conditions with the assumption that it delivers better care than primary or specialty care alone; however, little is known about the effectiveness of shared care.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the effectiveness of shared care health service interventions designed to improve the management of chronic disease across the primary/specialty care interface. This is an update of a previously published review.Secondary questions include the following:1. Which shared care interventions or portions of shared care interventions are most effective?2. What do the most effective systems have in common?

SEARCH METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library to 12 October 2015.

SELECTION CRITERIA

One review author performed the initial abstract screen; then two review authors independently screened and selected studies for inclusion. We considered randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomised controlled trials (NRCTs), controlled before-after studies (CBAs) and interrupted time series analyses (ITS) evaluating the effectiveness of shared care interventions for people with chronic conditions in primary care and community settings. The intervention was compared with usual care in that setting.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently extracted data from the included studies, evaluated study quality and judged the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. We conducted a meta-analysis of results when possible and carried out a narrative synthesis of the remainder of the results. We presented the results in a 'Summary of findings' table, using a tabular format to show effect sizes for all outcome types.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified 42 studies of shared care interventions for chronic disease management (N = 18,859), 39 of which were RCTs, two CBAs and one an NRCT. Of these 42 studies, 41 examined complex multi-faceted interventions and lasted from six to 24 months. Overall, our confidence in results regarding the effectiveness of interventions ranged from moderate to high certainty. Results showed probably few or no differences in clinical outcomes overall with a tendency towards improved blood pressure management in the small number of studies on shared care for hypertension, chronic kidney disease and stroke (mean difference (MD) 3.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.68 to 5.25)(based on moderate-certainty evidence). Mental health outcomes improved, particularly in response to depression treatment (risk ratio (RR) 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22 to 1.62; six studies, N = 1708) and recovery from depression (RR 2.59, 95% CI 1.57 to 4.26; 10 studies, N = 4482) in studies examining the 'stepped care' design of shared care interventions (based on high-certainty evidence). Investigators noted modest effects on mean depression scores (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.29, 95% CI -0.37 to -0.20; six studies, N = 3250). Differences in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), processes of care and participation and default rates in shared care services were probably limited (based on moderate-certainty evidence). Studies probably showed little or no difference in hospital admissions, service utilisation and patient health behaviours (with evidence of moderate certainty).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review suggests that shared care improves depression outcomes and probably has mixed or limited effects on other outcomes. Methodological shortcomings, particularly inadequate length of follow-up, may account in part for these limited effects. Review findings support the growing evidence base for shared care in the management of depression, particularly stepped care models of shared care. Shared care interventions for other conditions should be developed within research settings, with account taken of the complexity of such interventions and awareness of the need to carry out longer studies to test effectiveness and sustainability over time.