Urban-Rural Disparities in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Management and Access in Uganda

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease burden, grades and erythrocytosis at a tertiary hospital in western Uganda

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide among people over 40 years of age, and erythrocytosis is one of the major complications associated with increased mortality among COPD patients. The study aimed to determine the proportion of COPD, associated factors, and the burden of erythrocytosis among COPD participants.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. A consecutive sampling technique was used to obtain study participants at the Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital outpatient clinic. Focused history and physical examination were carried out to select eligible participants. Participants were screened using the COPD population screener for spirometry after consenting to participate. The study enrolled all adults at risk of having COPD based on the COPD population screener and able to undergo spirometry. Spirometry was carried out according to the Global Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease and European Respiratory Society guidelines, and haemoglobin concentration was measured.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty participants were enrolled in the study, most of whom were females. The modal and mean age of participants was 60 years with 139 (77.2%) females and primary as the highest education level 149(82.8%). The proportion of COPD was 25% (45) [95% CI 18.9 - 32] and highest among females (68.9%) and those aged 60 years and above (70%). The combined COPD assessment tool groups had a proportion of 55.6%, 37.8%, 4.4%, and 2.2% for groups A, B, C, and D, respectively. Age < 50 years was protective against COPD, while for every additional year of smoking, there was an associated 6.5% increased risk compared to the general population. Additionally, the proportion of erythrocytosis among COPD participants was 6.7%.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

There was a high proportion of COPD among study participants (25%), with a 6.7% proportion of erythrocytosis. We recommend a complete blood count for every patient in groups C and D of the ABCD COPD GOLD groups.

Challenges to Implementation of Community Health Worker-Led Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Screening and Referral in Rural Uganda: A Qualitative Study using the Implementation Outcomes Framework

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death globally. The burden of COPD is expected to increase in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). COPD screening and diagnostics tools are often inaccessible in rural settings of LMICs. To contribute to the growing body of evidence on the effectiveness of Community Health Worker (CHW) interventions, this study aims to understand the facilitators and barriers of implementing a CHW-led COPD screening and referral program in rural Uganda.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted from September to October 2022 to explore Community Members, CHWs, and Healthcare Providers (HCPs) perceptions on the challenges of CHW-delivered COPD programming in Nakaseke, rural Uganda. In total, we held eight individual in-depth interviews with CHWs, ten in-depth interviews with HCPs and six focus group discussions with 34 Community Members. Research assistants audio-recorded and transcribed interviews verbatim. The implementation outcomes framework guided the thematic analysis.

Results

Implementation acceptability was constrained by a lack of COPD awareness, a lack of perceived utility in COPD screening as well as stigma around the diagnostic process. Limited spirometry adoption was also attributed to Community Member accessibility and willingness to participate in the COPD diagnostic referral process. The high patient volume and the complex, time-consuming diagnostic and referral process hindered successful implementation. To enhance program sustainability, all participants suggested increasing CHW support, medication access, decentralizing COPD care and upscaling follow-up of Community Members by CHWs.

Conclusion

CHW-led interventions remain a potentially critical tool to alleviate barriers to treatment and self-management in settings where access to care is limited. While community-based interventions can create sustainable infrastructure to improve health outcomes, formative assessments of the potential barriers prior to intervention are required. Evidence-based, localized approaches and sustained funding are imperative to achieve this.

Real-life Evaluation of an Interactive Versus Noninteractive e-Learning Module on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease for Medical Licentiate Students in Zambia: Web-Based, Mixed Methods Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

e-Learning for health professionals in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is still in its infancy, but with the advent of COVID-19, a significant expansion of digital learning has occurred. Asynchronous e-learning can be grouped into interactive (user-influenceable content) and noninteractive (static material) e-learning. Studies conducted in high-income countries suggest that interactive e-learning is more effective than noninteractive e-learning in increasing learner satisfaction and knowledge; however, there is a gap in our understanding of whether this also holds true in LMICs.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to validate the hypothesis above in a resource-constrained and real-life setting to understand e-learning quality and delivery by comparing interactive and noninteractive e-learning user satisfaction, usability, and knowledge gain in a new medical university in Zambia.

METHODS

We conducted a web-based, mixed methods randomized controlled trial at the Levy Mwanawasa Medical University (LMMU) in Lusaka, Zambia, between April and July 2021. We recruited medical licentiate students (second, third, and fourth study years) via email. Participants were randomized to undergo asynchronous e-learning with an interactive or noninteractive module for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and informally blinded to their group allocation. The interactive module included interactive interfaces, quizzes, and a virtual patient, whereas the noninteractive module consisted of PowerPoint slides. Both modules covered the same content scope. The primary outcome was learner satisfaction. The secondary outcomes were usability, short- and long-term knowledge gain, and barriers to e-learning. The mixed methods study followed an explanatory sequential design in which rating conferences delivered further insights into quantitative findings, which were evaluated through web-based questionnaires.

RESULTS

Initially, 94 participants were enrolled in the study, of whom 41 (44%; 18 intervention participants and 23 control participants) remained in the study and were analyzed. There were no significant differences in satisfaction (intervention: median 33.5, first quartile 31.3, second quartile 35; control: median 33, first quartile 30, second quartile 37.5; P=.66), usability, or knowledge gain between the intervention and control groups. Challenges in accessing both e-learning modules led to many dropouts. Qualitative data suggested that the content of the interactive module was more challenging to access because of technical difficulties and individual factors (eg, limited experience with interactive e-learning).

CONCLUSIONS

We did not observe an increase in user satisfaction with interactive e-learning. However, this finding may not be generalizable to other low-resource settings because the post hoc power was low, and the e-learning system at LMMU has not yet reached its full potential. Consequently, technical and individual barriers to accessing e-learning may have affected the results, mainly because the interactive module was considered more difficult to access and use. Nevertheless, qualitative data showed high motivation and interest in e-learning. Future studies should minimize technical barriers to e-learning to further evaluate interactive e-learning in LMICs.

Discriminative Accuracy of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Screening Instruments in 3 Low- and Middle-Income Country Settings

IMPORTANCE

Most of the global morbidity and mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occurs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with significant economic effects.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the discriminative accuracy of 3 instruments using questionnaires and peak expiratory flow (PEF) to screen for COPD in 3 LMIC settings.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A cross-sectional analysis of discriminative accuracy, conducted between January 2018 and March 2020 in semiurban Bhaktapur, Nepal; urban Lima, Peru; and rural Nakaseke, Uganda, using a random age- and sex-stratified sample of the population 40 years or older.

EXPOSURES

Three screening tools, the COPD Assessment in Primary Care to Identify Undiagnosed Respiratory Disease and Exacerbation Risk (CAPTURE; range, 0-6; high risk indicated by a score of 5 or more or score 2-5 with low PEF [<250 L/min for females and <350 L/min for males]), the COPD in LMICs Assessment questionnaire (COLA-6; range, 0-5; high risk indicated by a score of 4 or more), and the Lung Function Questionnaire (LFQ; range, 0-25; high risk indicated by a score of 18 or less) were assessed against a reference standard diagnosis of COPD using quality-assured postbronchodilator spirometry. CAPTURE and COLA-6 include a measure of PEF.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was discriminative accuracy of the tools in identifying COPD as measured by area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) with 95% CIs. Secondary outcomes included sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value.

RESULTS

Among 10 709 adults who consented to participate in the study (mean age, 56.3 years (SD, 11.7); 50% female), 35% had ever smoked, and 30% were currently exposed to biomass smoke. The unweighted prevalence of COPD at the 3 sites was 18.2% (642/3534 participants) in Nepal, 2.7% (97/3550) in Peru, and 7.4% (264/3580) in Uganda. Among 1000 COPD cases, 49.3% had clinically important disease (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease classification B-D), 16.4% had severe or very severe airflow obstruction (forced expiratory volume in 1 second <50% predicted), and 95.3% of cases were previously undiagnosed. The AUC for the screening instruments ranged from 0.717 (95% CI, 0.677-0.774) for LFQ in Peru to 0.791 (95% CI, 0.770-0.809) for COLA-6 in Nepal. The sensitivity ranged from 34.8% (95% CI, 25.3%-45.2%) for COLA-6 in Nepal to 64.2% (95% CI, 60.3%-67.9%) for CAPTURE in Nepal. The mean time to administer the instruments was 7.6 minutes (SD 1.11), and data completeness was 99.5%.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study demonstrated that screening instruments for COPD were feasible to administer in 3 low- and middle-income settings. Further research is needed to assess instrument performance in other low- and middle-income settings and to determine whether implementation is associated with improved clinical outcomes.

Availability, affordability and access to essential medications for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in three low- and middle-income country settings

INTRODUCTION

Despite the rising burden of chronic respiratory disease globally, and although many respiratory medications are included in the World Health Organization Essential Medications List (WHO-EML), there is limited information concerning the availability and affordability of treatment drugs for respiratory conditions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

METHODS

All public and private pharmacies in catchment areas of the Global Excellence in COPD outcomes (GECo) study sites in Bhaktapur, Nepal, Lima, Peru, and Nakaseke, Uganda, were approached in 2017-2019 to assess pricing and availability of medications for the management of asthma and COPD.

RESULTS

We surveyed all 63 pharmacies in respective study areas in Nepal (95.2% private), 104 pharmacies in Peru (94.2% private) and 53 pharmacies in Uganda (98.1% private). The availability of any medication for respiratory disease was higher in private (93.3%) compared to public (73.3%) pharmacies. Salbutamol (WHO-EML) monotherapy in any formulation was the most commonly available respiratory medication among the three sites (93.7% Nepal, 86.5% Peru and 79.2% Uganda) while beclomethasone (WHO-EML) was only available in Peru (33.7%) and Nepal (22%). LABA-LAMA combination therapy was only available in Nepal (14.3% of pharmacies surveyed). The monthly treatment cost of respiratory medications was lowest in Nepal according to several cost metrics: the overall monthly cost, the median price ratio comparing medication costs to international reference prices at time of survey in dollars, and in terms of days' wages of the lowest-paid government worker. For the treatment of intermittent asthma, defined as 100 mcg Salbutamol/Albuterol inhaler, days' wages ranged from 0.47 days in Nepal and Peru to 3.33 days in Uganda.

CONCLUSION

The availability and pricing of respiratory medications varied across LMIC settings, with medications for acute care of respiratory diseases being more widely available than those for long-term management.

Geographical Differences and Their Associated Factors in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Mortality in Japan: An Ecological Study Using Nationwide Data

Geographical differences in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality have not been determined using municipal-specific data in Japan. This study determined the geographical differences in COPD mortality in Japan using municipal-specific data and identified associated factors. Data on COPD mortality from 2013 to 2017 for each municipality were obtained from the Vital Statistics of Japan. We calculated the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of COPD by an empirical Bayes method for each municipality and located the SMRs on a map of Japan. In addition, an ecological study was conducted to identify factors associated with the SMR using demographic, socioeconomic, and medical characteristics of municipalities by a spatial statistics model. Geographical differences in the SMR were different in men and women, and municipalities with a low SMR tended to be more frequent in women. Spatial regression analysis identified that the total population and taxable income per capita were negatively associated with the SMR in men. In women, population density, the proportion of fatherless households, and the number of clinics per capita were positively associated with the SMR, whereas taxable income per capita was negatively associated with the SMR. There were some differences in regional characteristics associated with COPD mortality by sex.

Strategies for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COPD in low- and middle- income countries: the importance of primary care

INTRODUCTION

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear a high proportion of the global morbidity and mortality caused by COPD. Increased exposure to risk factors throughout life (e.g. malnutrition, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and smoking) is associated with higher COPD prevalence in LMICs and the lack of treatment availability increases avoidable harm.

AREAS COVERED

This review covers the epidemiology and burden of COPD in LMICs, and challenges and recommendations related to health-care systems, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Main challenges are related to under-resourced health-care systems (such as limited availability of spirometry, rehabilitation, and medicines). Lack of policy and practical local guidelines on COPD diagnosis and management further contribute to the low diagnostic and treatment rates. In the absence of, or limited number of respiratory specialists, primary care practitioners (general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and community health workers) play an even more pivotal role in COPD management in LMICs.

EXPERT OPINION

Raising awareness on COPD, educating health-care workers, patients, and communities on cost-effective preventive measures as well as improving availability, affordability and proper use of diagnostic and pharmacological and non-pharmacologic treatment in primary care are the key interventions needed to improve COPD prevention, diagnosis, and care in LMICs.

Assessment of the Hearing Status of School-Age Children from Rural and Urban Areas of Mid-Eastern Poland

(1) Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of hearing loss in school-age children from rural and urban areas of mid-eastern Poland using standard audiological tests-pure tone audiometry (PTA), impedance audiometry (IA), and otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). (2) Methods: Data were collected from a group of 250 children aged 8 to 13, made up of 122 children from urban areas and 128 children from rural areas of mid-eastern Poland. Hearing was assessed in each of the subjects by means of PTA, IA (tympanometry), and transient-evoked OAEs (TEOAEs). Otoscopy was also performed. (3) Results: There were significantly fewer abnormal results in children from urban than rural areas: they were, respectively, 10.1% and 23.1% for IA, 3% and 9.7% for PTA, and 17.3% and 31.8% for TEOAEs. For hearing-impaired ears in rural areas (failed TEOAE), hearing thresholds were, on average, 11.5 dB higher at 0.5 kHz than for children in urban areas. Comparison of each PTA result with the corresponding IA showed that all cases of hearing loss were related to malfunction of the middle ear. (4) Conclusions: The results of all three hearing tests were significantly worse in children from rural areas compared to those from urban areas. This indicates that audiological healthcare in rural areas needs improvement and that universal hearing screening programs for school-age children would be helpful.

Effectiveness of low-dose theophylline for the management of biomass-associated COPD (LODOT-BCOPD): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

COPD is a leading cause of death globally, with the majority of morbidity and mortality occurring in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. While tobacco-smoke exposure is the most important risk factor for COPD in high-income settings, household air pollution from biomass smoke combustion is a leading risk factor for COPD in LMICs. Despite the high burden of biomass smoke-related COPD, few studies have evaluated the efficacy of pharmacotherapy in this context. Currently recommended inhaler-based therapy for COPD is neither available nor affordable in most resource-limited settings. Low-dose theophylline is an oral, once-a-day therapy, long used in high-income countries (HICs), which has been proposed for the management of COPD in LMICs in the absence of inhaled steroids and/or bronchodilators. The Low-dose Theophylline for the Management of Biomass-Associated COPD (LODOT-BCOPD) trial investigates the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of low-dose theophylline for the management of biomass-related COPD in a low-income setting.

METHODS

LODOT-BCOPD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to test the efficacy of low-dose theophylline in improving respiratory symptoms in 110 participants with moderate to severe COPD in Central Uganda. The inclusion criteria are as follows: (1) age 40 to 80 years, (2) full-time resident of the study area, (3) daily biomass exposure, (4) post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC below the 5th percentile of the Global Lung Initiative mixed ethnic reference population, and (5) GOLD Grade B-D COPD. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive once daily low-dose theophylline (200 mg ER, Unicontin-E) or placebo for 52 weeks. All participants will receive education about self-management of COPD and rescue salbutamol inhalers. We will measure health status using the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and quality of life using the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) at baseline and every 6 months. In addition, we will assess household air pollution levels, serum inflammatory biomarkers (fibrinogen, hs-CRP), and theophylline levels at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months. The primary outcome is change in SGRQ score at 12 months. Lastly, we will assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention by calculating quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) from the EQ-5D.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov  NCT03984188 . Registered on June 12, 2019 TRIAL ACRONYM: Low-dose Theophylline for the Management of Biomass-Associated COPD (LODOT-BCOPD).

Gaps in COPD Guidelines of Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Guidelines are critical for facilitating cost-effective COPD care. Development and implementation in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) is challenging. To guide future strategy, an overview of current global COPD guidelines is required.

RESEARCH QUESTION

We systematically reviewed national COPD guidelines, focusing on worldwide availability and identification of potential development, content, context, and quality gaps that may hamper effective implementation.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Scoping review of national COPD management guidelines. We assessed: (1) global guideline coverage; (2) guideline information (authors, target audience, dissemination plans); (3) content (prevention, diagnosis, treatments); (4) ethical, legal, and socio-economic aspects; and (5) compliance with the eight Institute of Medicine (IOM) guideline standards. LMICs guidelines were compared with those from high-income countries (HICs).

RESULTS

Of the 61 national COPD guidelines identified, 30 were from LMICs. Guidelines did not cover 1.93 billion (30.2%) people living in LMICs, whereas only 0.02 billion (1.9%) in HICs were without national guidelines. Compared with HICs, LMIC guidelines targeted fewer health-care professional groups and less often addressed case finding and co-morbidities. More than 90% of all guidelines included smoking cessation advice. Air pollution reduction strategies were less frequently mentioned in both LMICs (47%) and HICs (42%). LMIC guidelines fulfilled on average 3.37 (42%) of IOM standards, compared with 5.29 (66%) in HICs (P < .05). LMICs scored significantly lower compared with HICs regarding conflicts of interest management, updates, articulation of recommendations, and funding transparency (all, P < .05).

INTERPRETATION

Several development, content, context, and quality gaps exist in COPD guidelines from LMICs that may hamper effective implementation. Overall, COPD guidelines in LMICs should be more widely available and should be transparently developed and updated. Guidelines may be further enhanced by better inclusion of local risk factors, case findings, and co-morbidity management, preferably tailored to available financial and staff resources.

A Novel Case-Finding Instrument for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Low- and Middle-Income Country Settings

Background

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) account for >90% of deaths and illness episodes related to COPD; however, this condition is commonly underdiagnosed in these settings. Case-finding instruments for COPD may improve diagnosis and identify individuals that need treatment, but few have been validated in resource-limited settings.

Methods

We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in Uganda to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a respiratory symptom, exposure and functional questionnaire in combination with peak expiratory flow for COPD diagnosis using post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC z-score below the 5th percentile as the gold standard. We included locally relevant exposure questions and statistical learning techniques to identify the most important risk factors for COPD. We used 80% of the data to develop the case-finding instrument and validated it in the remaining 20%. We evaluated for calibration and discrimination using standard approaches. The final score, COLA (COPD in LMICs Assessment), included seven questions, age and pre-bronchodilator peak expiratory flow.

Results

We analyzed data from 1,173 participants (average age 47 years, 46.9% male, 4.5% with COPD) with acceptable and reproducible spirometry. The seven questions yielded a cross-validated area-under-the-curve [AUC] of 0.68 (95% CI 0.61-0.75) with higher scores conferring greater odds of COPD. The inclusion of peak expiratory flow and age improved prediction in a validation sample (AUC=0.83, 95% CI 0.78-0.88) with a positive predictive value of 50% and a negative predictive value of 96%. The final instrument (COLA) included seven questions, age and pre-bronchodilator peak expiratory flow.

Conclusion

COLA predicted COPD in urban and rural settings in Uganda has high calibration and discrimination, and could serve as a simple, low-cost screening tool in resource-limited settings.

Illness representations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to inform health education strategies and research design-learning from rural Uganda

More than 90% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries; however, few studies have examined the illness experiences of individuals living with and providing treatment for COPD in these settings. This study characterizes illness representations for COPD in Nakaseke, Uganda from the perspectives of health care providers, village health teams and community members (CMs) with COPD. We conducted 40 in-depth, semi-structured interviews (16 health care providers, 12 village health teams and 12 CMs, aged 25-80 years). Interviews were analyzed using inductive coding, and the Illness Representations Model guided our analysis. Stakeholder groups showed concordance in identifying causal mechanisms of COPD, but showed disagreement in reasons for care seeking behaviors and treatment preferences. CMs did not use a distinct label to differentiate COPD from other respiratory illnesses, and described both the physical and social consequences of COPD. Local representations can inform development of adapted educational and self-management tools for COPD.