Overview

What role do you play for patients with COPD

You play a critical role in supporting your patients living with COPD. While it is a progressive and incurable disease, the right care and management can help people living with COPD live more active lives, experience fewer symptoms, flare ups and reduce the risk of hospitalisation.

COPD clinical guidelines

Lung Foundation Australia led the national response to COPD and maintains the COPD-X Plan: The Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guidelines for the management of COPD. The COPD-X Plan is updated up to 4 times a year and endorsed by the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ).

What is best-practice COPD care?

Best practice COPD care aligns with the COPD Clinical Care Standard, developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care in consultation with Lung Foundation Australia. It outlines elements of best-practice care across the disease continuum including:

• Early and accurate diagnosis with spirometry. A spirometry result showing a post-bronchodilator FEV¹/FVC ratio <0.7 is required for a COPD diagnosis²
• A comprehensive care plan
• Exacerbation prevention and management, including a COPD action plan

COPD training and resource

Lung Foundation Australia provides a range of accredited training, tools and resources for primary care professionals, pharmacy and hospital teams.

Find these and more at the Lung Learning Hub and in the COPD-X Handbook.

Sources

1. Petrie K, Toelle BG, Wood-Baker R, Maguire GP, James AL, Hunter M, Johns DP, Marks GB, George J, Abramson MJ. 2021. Undiagnosed and Misdiagnosed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Data from the BOLD Australia Study. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis, 16, 467-475.
2. Yang, I. A., Hancock, K., George, J., McNamara, R., McDonald, C. F., McDonald, V. M., Smith, B. J., Zwar, N. A., Goodwin, A., Ordman, R., Dabscheck, E. 2024. COPD-X Handbook: Summary clinical practice guidelines for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Milton, Queensland: Lung Foundation Australia