Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations contribute to both costs and patient morbidity. The authors designed a quality project to improve care for high-risk COPD patients admitted with an exacerbation. An electronic medical record report was used to target admitted high-risk COPD patients for an intervention that included pulmonary and respiratory therapy consults, post-discharge phone calls from a patient navigator, referrals to palliative services when appropriate, and bedside delivery of medications. The control population was a similar group of patients at a community partner hospital who received usual care. In all, 157 unique patients were enrolled over 16 months; referrals to palliative care services increased and rates of outpatient follow-up improved. There was no difference in readmissions or emergency department visits between the 2 groups. Better coordination of outpatient care and attention to psychosocial burdens were identified as possible targets for future interventions.
Keywords: COPD; COPD exacerbation; process improvement; readmissions.