TY - JOUR
T1 - COPD care delivery pathways in five European Union countries: mapping and health care professionals' perceptions
AU - Kayyali, Reem
AU - Odeh, Bassel
AU - Frerichs, Inez
AU - Davies, Nikki
AU - Perantoni, Eleni
AU - D'arcy, Shona
AU - Vaes, Anouk W.
AU - Chang, John
AU - Spruit, Martijn A.
AU - Deering, Brenda
AU - Philip, Nada
AU - Siva, Roshan
AU - Kaimakamis, Evangelos
AU - Chouvarda, Ioanna
AU - Pierscionek, Barbara
AU - Weiler, Norbert
AU - Wouters, Emiel F. M.
AU - Raptopoulos, Andreas
AU - Nabhani-Gebara, Shereen
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - COPD is among the leading causes of chronic morbidity and mortality in the European Union with an estimated annual economic burden of ?25.1 billion. Various care pathways for COPD exist across Europe leading to different responses to similar problems. Determining these differences and the similarities may improve health and the functioning of health services.The aim of this study was to compare COPD patients' care pathway in five European Union countries including England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Greece, and Germany and to explore health care professionals' (HCPs) perceptions about the current pathways.HCPs were interviewed in two stages using a qualitative, semistructured email interview and a face-to-face semistructured interview.Lack of communication among different health care providers managing COPD and comorbidities was a common feature of the studied care pathways. General practitioners/family doctors are responsible for liaising between different teams/services, except in Greece where this is done through pulmonologists. Ireland and the UK are the only countries with services for patients at home to shorten unnecessary hospital stay. HCPs emphasized lack of communication, limited resources, and poor patient engagement as issues in the current pathways. Furthermore, no specified role exists for pharmacists and informal carers.Service and professional integration between care settings using a unified system targeting COPD and comorbidities is a priority. Better communication between health care providers, establishing a clear role for informal carers, and enhancing patients' engagement could optimize current care pathways resulting in a better integrated system.
AB - COPD is among the leading causes of chronic morbidity and mortality in the European Union with an estimated annual economic burden of ?25.1 billion. Various care pathways for COPD exist across Europe leading to different responses to similar problems. Determining these differences and the similarities may improve health and the functioning of health services.The aim of this study was to compare COPD patients' care pathway in five European Union countries including England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Greece, and Germany and to explore health care professionals' (HCPs) perceptions about the current pathways.HCPs were interviewed in two stages using a qualitative, semistructured email interview and a face-to-face semistructured interview.Lack of communication among different health care providers managing COPD and comorbidities was a common feature of the studied care pathways. General practitioners/family doctors are responsible for liaising between different teams/services, except in Greece where this is done through pulmonologists. Ireland and the UK are the only countries with services for patients at home to shorten unnecessary hospital stay. HCPs emphasized lack of communication, limited resources, and poor patient engagement as issues in the current pathways. Furthermore, no specified role exists for pharmacists and informal carers.Service and professional integration between care settings using a unified system targeting COPD and comorbidities is a priority. Better communication between health care providers, establishing a clear role for informal carers, and enhancing patients' engagement could optimize current care pathways resulting in a better integrated system.
KW - COPD
KW - comorbidities
KW - care delivery pathway
KW - comparative analysis
U2 - 10.2147/COPD.S104136
DO - 10.2147/COPD.S104136
M3 - Article
C2 - 27881915
SN - 1176-9106
VL - 11
SP - 2831
EP - 2838
JO - International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
JF - International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
IS - 1
ER -