MISSION COPD was modelled on the similar format used by the Wessex Asthma Network project MISSION Asthma, and again was delivered by the respiratory team at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust. Supported by an 'Innovation for Improvement' award from the Health Foundation, we applied this novel concept to improve the care of our population of people living with the lung condition Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
The aim of the project is to combine the expertise of primary and secondary care to improve patients’ symptom control and quality of life, and to reduce the need for unplanned COPD care and emergency admissions. We work closely with primary care professionals to reduce the length of time before poorly controlled COPD is identified and treated (to recognised quality standards), to improve the patient experience and reduce cost.
We proactively identified patients with high risk COPD from GP registers, and then made a swift assessment of key factors such as disease control, quality of life (QOL) and exacerbation triggers. Where appropriate, patients were followed up with a specialist evaluation within a hospital COPD Outpatient Clinic.
We are now formally evaluating the pilot, and will publish our findings soon. Interim analysis shows that the pilot has been very successful in reducing patients' symptoms and improving quality of life. It has also shown significant reduction in healthcare utilisation such as hospital admissions and unplanned GP visits.
Mission COPD also won the presitigios HSJ award 2016 in the category 'Improving Patient Safety in Medicines Management'.
There is more information on the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (NIHR CLAHRC) Wessex website too.
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