Complex interventions that reduce urgent care use in COPD: a systematic review with meta-regression

Implementing an Evidence-Based COPD Hospital Discharge Protocol: A Narrative Review and Expert Recommendations

Discharge bundles, comprising evidence-based practices to be implemented prior to discharge, aim to optimise patient outcomes. They have been recommended to address high readmission rates in patients who have been hospitalised for an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Hospital readmission is associated with increased morbidity and healthcare resource utilisation, contributing substantially to the economic burden of COPD. Previous studies suggest that COPD discharge bundles may result in fewer hospital readmissions, lower risk of mortality and improvement of patient quality of life. However, evidence for their effectiveness is inconsistent, likely owing to variable content and implementation of these bundles. To ensure consistent provision of high-quality care for patients hospitalised with an exacerbation of COPD and reduce readmission rates following discharge, we propose a comprehensive discharge protocol, and provide evidence highlighting the importance of each element of the protocol. We then review care bundles used in COPD and other disease areas to understand how they affect patient outcomes, the barriers to implementing these bundles and what strategies have been used in other disease areas to overcome these barriers. We identified four evidence-based care bundle items for review prior to a patient's discharge from hospital, including (1) smoking cessation and assessment of environmental exposures, (2) treatment optimisation, (3) pulmonary rehabilitation, and (4) continuity of care. Resource constraints, lack of staff engagement and knowledge, and complexity of the COPD population were some of the key barriers inhibiting effective bundle implementation. These barriers can be addressed by applying learnings on successful bundle implementation from other disease areas, such as healthcare practitioner education and audit and feedback. By utilising the relevant implementation strategies, discharge bundles can be more (cost-)effectively delivered to improve patient outcomes, reduce readmission rates and ensure continuity of care for patients who have been discharged from hospital following a COPD exacerbation.

A non-randomised controlled pilot study of clinical pharmacist collaborative intervention for community dwelling patients with COPD

UK, home-based patients with COPD receive specialist care from respiratory physicians, nurses, and general practitioners (GPs), but increasing complexity of therapeutic options and a GP/Nurse workforce crisis suggests merit in testing the role of home visits by a clinical pharmacist. We conducted a non-randomised intervention study with a contemporaneous comparator group, in Glasgow (Scotland). A clinical pharmacist (working closely with a consultant respiratory physician) visited patients with COPD living at home, assessing respiratory and other co-morbid conditions, and medicines then, with patient approval, agreed treatment modifications with a consultant physician. Comparator group-patients were drawn from another hospital out-patient clinic. Main outcomes were exacerbations during 4-months of follow-up and respiratory hospitalisations (number and duration) after 1 year. In the intervention group, 86 patients received a median of three home visits; 87 received usual care (UC). At baseline, patients in the intervention group were similar to those in UC in terms of respiratory hospitalisations although slightly younger, more likely to receive specific maintenance antibiotics/Prednisolone and to have had exacerbations. Sixty-two (72.1%) of the intervention group received dose changes; 45 (52.3%) had medicines stopped/started and 21 (24.4%) received an expedited review at the specialist respiratory consultant clinic; 46 (53.5%) were referred to other healthcare services. Over one-third were referred for bone scans and 11% received additional investigations. At follow-up, 54 (63.5%) of intervention group participants had an exacerbation compared with 75 (86.2%) in the UC group (p = 0.001); fewer had respiratory hospitalisations (39 (45.3%) vs. 66 (76.7%); p < 0.001). Hospitalisations were shorter in the intervention group. Pharmacist-consultant care for community dwelling patients with COPD, changed clinical management and improved outcomes. A randomised controlled trial would establish causality.

Clinical pharmacists, working in collaboration with respiratory specialists, can help people who live at home with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) better manage their medications and symptoms. In a non-randomised pilot study, Richard Lowrie from the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde,
UK, and colleagues found that patients with COPD who receive standard at-home care—which includes visits to GP surgeries and hospital-based respiratory out-patient clinics, and visits from respiratory specialist nurses—were more likely to experience exacerbations and need lengthy hospital stays than those who additionally received home visits from a clinical pharmacist. The pharmacist, in consultation with the patient’s respiratory physician, often proposed medication changes and suggested additional testing or referrals that presumably explain the improved health outcomes. The authors conclude that a large, randomised trial is warranted to further evaluate the merits of this collaborative intervention for community dwelling patients with COPD.

Influences of patient education on exacerbations and hospital admissions in patients with COPD - a longitudinal national register study

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) contributes to impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Patient education and smoking cessation programs are recommended to reduce the number of exacerbations and hospitalizations, but the effects of such programs have yet to be explored in larger samples. Objective: The aim was to explore the longitudinal effects of patient education and smoking cessation programs on exacerbations and hospital admissions in patients with COPD. Design: This is a register study where data from the Swedish National Airway Register, including 20,666 patients with COPD, were used. Baseline measures of demographic, disease-related, and patient-reported variables were compared with a follow-up, 10-30 months after baseline. Descriptive statistics and changes between baseline and follow-up were calculated. Results: Comparing those not participating in education programs to those who did, HRQoL deteriorated significantly between baseline and follow-up in non-participants; there was no change in either exacerbations or hospitalizations in either group; there was a significant difference in baseline HRQoL between the two, and, when controlling for this, there was no significant change (p = 0.73). Patients who participated in smoking cessation programs were younger than the non-participants; mean 66.0 (standard deviations (SD) 7.8) vs. mean 68.1 (SD 8.8), p = 0.006. Among participants in smoking cessation programs, the proportion with continued smoking decreased significantly, from 76% to 66%, p < 0.001. Exacerbations at follow-up were predicted by FEV1% of predicted value and exacerbations at baseline. Hospital admissions at follow-up were predicted by baseline FEV1% of predicted value and exacerbations at baseline. Conclusions: To prevent exacerbations and hospital admissions, treatment and prevention must be prioritized in COPD care. Patient education and smoking cessation programs are beneficial, but there is a need to combine them with other interventions.

CHOICE: Choosing Health Options In Chronic Care Emergencies

Background

Over 70% of the health-care budget in England is spent on the care of people with long-term conditions (LTCs), and a major cost component is unscheduled health care. Psychological morbidity is high in people with LTCs and is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including increased mortality, poorer physical health outcomes, increased health costs and service utilisation.

Objectives

The aim of this programme of research was to examine the relationship between psychological morbidity and use of unscheduled care in people with LTCs, and to develop a psychosocial intervention that would have the potential to reduce unscheduled care use. We focused largely on emergency hospital admissions (EHAs) and attendances at emergency departments (EDs).

Design

A three-phase mixed-methods study. Research methods included systematic reviews; a longitudinal prospective cohort study in primary care to identify people with LTCs at risk of EHA or ED admission; a replication study in primary care using routinely collected data; an exploratory and feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial in primary care; and qualitative studies to identify personal reasons for the use of unscheduled care and factors in routine consultations in primary care that may influence health-care use. People with lived experience of LTCs worked closely with the research team.

Setting

Primary care. Manchester and London.

Participants

People aged ≥ 18 years with at least one of four common LTCs: asthma, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes. Participants also included health-care staff.

Results

Evidence synthesis suggested that depression, but not anxiety, is a predictor of use of unscheduled care in patients with LTCs, and low-intensity complex interventions reduce unscheduled care use in people with asthma and COPD. The results of the prospective study were that depression, not having a partner and life stressors, in addition to prior use of unscheduled care, severity of illness and multimorbidity, were independent predictors of EHA and ED admission. Approximately half of the cost of health care for people with LTCs was accounted for by use of unscheduled care. The results of the replication study, carried out in London, broadly supported our findings for risk of ED attendances, but not EHAs. This was most likely due to low rates of detection of depression in general practitioner (GP) data sets. Qualitative work showed that patients were reluctant to use unscheduled care, deciding to do so when they perceived a serious and urgent need for care, and following previous experience that unscheduled care had successfully and unquestioningly met similar needs in the past. In general, emergency and primary care doctors did not regard unscheduled care as problematic. We found there are missed opportunities to identify and discuss psychosocial issues during routine consultations in primary care due to the ‘overmechanisation’ of routine health-care reviews. The feasibility trial examined two levels of an intervention for people with COPD: we tried to improve the way in which practices manage patients with COPD and developed a targeted psychosocial treatment for patients at risk of using unscheduled care. The former had low acceptability, whereas the latter had high acceptability. Exploratory health economic analyses suggested that the practice-level intervention would be unlikely to be cost-effective, limiting the value of detailed health economic modelling.

Limitations

The findings of this programme may not apply to all people with LTCs. It was conducted in an area of high social deprivation, which may limit the generalisability to more affluent areas. The response rate to the prospective longitudinal study was low. The feasibility trial focused solely on people with COPD.

Conclusions

Prior use of unscheduled care is the most powerful predictor of unscheduled care use in people with LTCs. However, psychosocial factors, particularly depression, are important additional predictors of use of unscheduled care in patients with LTCs, independent of severity and multimorbidity. Patients and health-care practitioners are unaware that psychosocial factors influence health-care use, and such factors are rarely acknowledged or addressed in consultations or discussions about use of unscheduled care. A targeted patient intervention for people with LTCs and comorbid depression has shown high levels of acceptability when delivered in a primary care context. An intervention at the level of the GP practice showed little evidence of acceptability or cost-effectiveness.

Future work

The potential benefits of case-finding for depression in patients with LTCs in primary care need to be evaluated, in addition to further evaluation of the targeted patient intervention.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Programme Grants for Applied Research programme.

Clinical-effectiveness of self-management interventions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: An overview of reviews

Self-management (SM) is defined as the provision of interventions to increase patients’ skills and confidence, empowering the individual to take an active part in their disease management. There is uncertainty regarding the optimal format and the short- and long-term benefits of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) SM interventions in adults. Therefore, a high-quality overview of reviews was updated to examine their clinical effectiveness. Sixteen reviews were identified, interventions were broadly classified as education or action plans, complex interventions with an SM focus, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), telehealth and outreach nursing. Systematic review and meta-analysis quality and the risk of bias of underlying primary studies were assessed. Strong evidence was found that PR is associated with significant improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Limited to moderate evidence for complex interventions (SM focus) with limited evidence for education, action plans, telehealth interventions and outreach nursing for HRQoL was found. There was strong evidence that education is associated with a significant reduction in COPD-related hospital admissions, moderate to strong evidence that telehealth interventions and moderate evidence that complex interventions (SM focus) are associated with reduced health care utilization. These findings from a large body of evidence suggesting that SM, through education or as a component of PR, confers significant health gains in people with COPD in terms of HRQoL. SM supported by telehealth confers significant reductions in healthcare utilization, including hospitalization and emergency department visits.

Does integrated care reduce hospital activity for patients with chronic diseases? An umbrella review of systematic reviews

OBJECTIVE

To summarise the evidence regarding the effectiveness of integrated care interventions in reducing hospital activity.

DESIGN

Umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

SETTING

Interventions must have delivered care crossing the boundary between at least two health and/or social care settings.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult patients with one or more chronic diseases.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase, ASSIA, PsycINFO, HMIC, CINAHL, Cochrane Library (HTA database, DARE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), EPPI-Centre, TRIP, HEED, manual screening of references.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Any measure of hospital admission or readmission, length of stay (LoS), accident and emergency use, healthcare costs.

RESULTS

50 reviews were included. Interventions focused on case management (n=8), chronic care model (CCM) (n=9), discharge management (n=15), complex interventions (n=3), multidisciplinary teams (MDT) (n=10) and self-management (n=5). 29 reviews reported statistically significant improvements in at least one outcome. 11/21 reviews reported significantly reduced emergency admissions (15-50%); 11/24 showed significant reductions in all-cause (10-30%) or condition-specific (15-50%) readmissions; 9/16 reported LoS reductions of 1-7 days and 4/9 showed significantly lower A&E use (30-40%). 10/25 reviews reported significant cost reductions but provided little robust evidence. Effective interventions included discharge management with postdischarge support, MDT care with teams that include condition-specific expertise, specialist nurses and/or pharmacists and self-management as an adjunct to broader interventions. Interventions were most effective when targeting single conditions such as heart failure, and when care was provided in patients' homes.

CONCLUSIONS

Although all outcomes showed some significant reductions, and a number of potentially effective interventions were found, interventions rarely demonstrated unequivocally positive effects. Despite the centrality of integrated care to current policy, questions remain about whether the magnitude of potentially achievable gains is enough to satisfy national targets for reductions in hospital activity.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42015016458.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients' Experiences of an Enhanced Self-Management Model of Care

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is debilitating and costly. Self-management is championed to empower individuals to better manage their condition and also to efficiently utilize health resources. As a multi-disciplinary team, we conducted focus group research with individuals living with COPD who were participating in a longitudinal study to use an electronic "diary" to monitor, record, and transmit their own health status, plus receiving regular nurse visits. The main aims of the focus groups were to investigate how far individuals embraced the electronic diary and experienced it as an aid to the self-management of their condition. We also looked at the importance of the nurse visits to the process. Thematic analysis revealed that patients responded positively to the use of technology (the electronic diary), including psychological benefits of perceived support offered by the remote symptom surveillance. Findings also showed patients' increased awareness and monitoring of personal symptoms together with an improved understanding of disease self-management. Nurse support emerged as an important "human" factor in the process. In addition, a reduction in hospital admission was observed, thus reducing costs to the health service.

Cost-effectiveness of integrated COPD care: the RECODE cluster randomised trial

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the cost-effectiveness of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) disease management (COPD-DM) programme in primary care, called RECODE, compared to usual care.

DESIGN

A 2-year cluster-randomised controlled trial.

SETTING

40 general practices in the western part of the Netherlands.

PARTICIPANTS

1086 patients with COPD according to GOLD (Global Initiative for COPD) criteria. Exclusion criteria were terminal illness, cognitive impairment, alcohol or drug misuse and inability to fill in Dutch questionnaires. Practices were included if they were willing to create a multidisciplinary COPD team.

INTERVENTIONS

A multidisciplinary team of caregivers was trained in motivational interviewing, setting up individual care plans, exacerbation management, implementing clinical guidelines and redesigning the care process. In addition, clinical decision-making was supported by feedback reports provided by an ICT programme.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We investigated the impact on health outcomes (quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), Clinical COPD Questionnaire, St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire and exacerbations) and costs (healthcare and societal perspective).

RESULTS

The intervention costs were €324 per patient. Excluding these costs, the intervention group had €584 (95% CI €86 to €1046) higher healthcare costs than did the usual care group and €645 (95% CI €28 to €1190) higher costs from the societal perspective. Health outcomes were similar in both groups, except for 0.04 (95% CI -0.07 to -0.01) less QALYs in the intervention group.

CONCLUSIONS

This integrated care programme for patients with COPD that mainly included professionally directed interventions was not cost-effective in primary care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Netherlands Trial Register NTR2268.

A family-focused intervention for heart failure self-care: conceptual underpinnings of a culturally appropriate intervention

AIM

A discussion of the conceptual elements of an intervention tailored to the needs of Lebanese families.

BACKGROUND

The role of informal caregiving is strongly recommended for individuals with chronic conditions including heart failure. Although this importance is recognized, conceptual and theoretical underpinnings are not well elucidated nor are methods of intervention implementation.

DESIGN

Discussion paper on the conceptual underpinning of the FAMILY model.

METHODS AND DATA SOURCES

This intervention was undertaken using linked methods: (1) Appraisal of theoretical model; (2) review of systematic reviews on educational interventions promoting self-management in chronic conditions in four databases with no year limit; (3) socio-cultural context identification from selected papers; (4) expert consultation using consensus methods; and (5) model development.

RESULTS

Theories on self-care and behavioural change, eighteen systematic reviews on educational interventions and selected papers identifying sociocultural elements along with expert opinion were used to guide the development of The FAMILY Intervention Heart Failure Model. Theory and practice driven concepts identified include: behavioural change, linkage, partnership and self-regulation.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Heart failure is a common condition often requiring in-hospital and home-based care. Educational interventions targeting the socio-cultural influences of the patients and their family caregivers through a structured and well-designed program can improve outcomes.

CONCLUSION

As the burden of chronic diseases increases globally, particularly in emerging economies, developing models of intervention that are appropriate to both the individual and the socio-cultural context are necessary.

Electronic health records and improved nursing management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

This paper identifies evolving trends in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and recommends the integration of nursing strategies in COPD management via widespread implementation of electronic health records. COPD is a complex lung disease with diverse origins, both physical and behavioral, manifested in a wide range of symptoms that further increase the patient's risk for comorbidities. Early diagnosis and effective management of COPD require monitoring of a dizzying array of COPD symptoms over extended periods of time, and nurses are especially well positioned to manage potential progressions of COPD, as frontline health care providers who obtain, record, and organize patient data. Developments in medical technology greatly aid nursing management of COPD, from the deployment of spirometry as a diagnostic tool at the family practice level to newly approved treatment options, including non-nicotine pharmacotherapies that reduce the cravings associated with tobacco withdrawal. Among new medical technologies, electronic health records have proven particularly advantageous in the management of COPD, enabling providers to gather, maintain, and reference more patient data than has ever been possible before. Thus, consistent and widespread implementation of electronic health records facilitates the coordination of diverse treatment strategies, resulting in increased positive health outcomes for patients with COPD.

Complex interventions reduce use of urgent healthcare in adults with asthma: systematic review with meta-regression

INTRODUCTION

Asthma accounts for considerable healthcare expenditure, a large proportion of which is attributable to use of expensive urgent healthcare. This review examines the characteristics of complex interventions that reduce urgent healthcare use in adults with asthma.

METHOD

Electronic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PSYCINFO, CINAHL, the British Nursing Library and the Cochrane library, from inception to January 2013 were conducted. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they: i) included adults with asthma ii) assessed the efficacy of a complex intervention using randomised controlled trial design, and iii) included a measure of urgent healthcare utilisation at follow-up. Data on participants recruited, methods, characteristics of complex interventions and the effects of the intervention on urgent healthcare use were extracted.

RESULTS

33 independent studies were identified resulting in 39 comparisons altogether. Pooled effects indicated that interventions were associated with a reduction in urgent healthcare use (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.67, 0.94). When study effects were grouped according to the components of the interventions used, significant effects were seen for interventions that included general education (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.64, 0.91), skills training (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.48, 0.86) and relapse prevention (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.57, 0.98). In multivariate meta-regression analysis, only skills training remained significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Complex interventions reduced the use of urgent healthcare in adults with asthma by 21%. Those complex interventions including skills training, education and relapse prevention may be particularly effective in reducing the use of urgent healthcare in adults with asthma.