The American Lung Association is announcing a new initiative to help people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) better manage symptoms and improve quality of life. More than 16 million people in the U.S. have COPD, a chronic, progressive disease that limits air flow and causes difficulty breathing. Millions more are estimated to live with the disease undiagnosed.
COPD is a significant health burden in the U.S. The average medical cost for a person living with COPD is $16,000 annually, compared to $6,000 for a person without the disease. COPD results in 925,000 emergency room visits and 335,000 hospitalizations each year.
“COPD is a devastating disease that can impact the entire family by taking a toll on mental health and finances. Though there is no cure for COPD, treatments like supplemental oxygen, inhalers and medication, as well as lifestyle changes, can help control symptoms and improve disease management. But managing COPD can be overwhelming, and too many people don’t know where to begin,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. “An important part of living with COPD is finding the right support, and our Lung Health Navigators are here to help. We found that after completing the program and working one-on-one with a Navigator, people report fewer symptoms*, indicating a significant reduced impact of COPD on their daily life.”
“As a physician, I do everything I can to help my patients with COPD live their best, most active and fulfilling lives, but it is critical for people to have support, education and accessible resources to help manage their disease on a daily basis,” said Bobby Shah, MD, board-certified pulmonologist at Cardio-Pulmonary Associates in St. Louis. “Through the Lung Association campaign, people with COPD are able to easily access the information they need outside of my office and the hospital. This is especially important for people who are newly diagnosed with the disease.”
The program includes:
- Free, one-on-one support from Lung Health Navigators, who are healthcare providers such as registered nurses and respiratory therapists. These lung health experts provide personalized support, guidance and resources to help people throughout their journey with COPD, including treatment options, when to seek a second opinion and help with navigating insurance coverage. Lung Health Navigators are available for phone calls, live online chat and video calls.
- Proven Results. Patients who participated in the Lung Health Navigator program showed a decrease in symptom severity, as measured by the COPD Assessment Test in pre-post surveys.
- Expanding partner referral networks in communities where the COPD Medicare hospitalization rate is among highest, including in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia.
- New educational content for people living with moderate to severe COPD and people going home from the hospital after an exacerbation. Topics include discussing symptoms with a healthcare provider, making necessary lifestyle changes, and understanding treatment options and how to access them, including biologics.
- The “Could It Be COPD?” questionnaire encouraging people at risk of COPD to speak with their healthcare provider about their symptoms and risk factors. COPD is underdiagnosed, and many people misattribute symptoms to aging or smoking history. Early detection is key to potentially preventing COPD progression and reducing symptoms.
- Resources for healthcare providers to improve early diagnosis and COPD care, and build strong, trusting relationships with their patients.
Learn more about COPD at Lung.org/copd. To connect with a Lung Health Navigator, call 866-252-2959, or visit Lung.org/navigator.
Support for the campaign was provided by Sanofi, Regeneron, AstraZeneca and Genentech.
* Symptoms as measured by the COPD Assessment Test, to be an average of 2.9 points lower upon postscore than prescore.
