Diagnostic Accuracy of a Two-Stage Sequential Screening Strategy Implemented by Community Health Workers (CHWs) to Identify Individuals with COPD in Rural India

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.

Accuracy of Six Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Screening Questionnaires in the Chinese Population

Purpose

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is under diagnosis in China. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of six COPD screening questionnaires for the early detection of COPD.

Patients and Methods

We recruited patients aged ≥35 years, presenting at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University in 2021. All participants completed the COPD Diagnostic Questionnaire (CDQ), Revised COPD Diagnostic Questionnaire (Revised-CDQ), COPD Population Screener (COPD-PS), COPD Screening Questionnaire (COPD-SQ), COPD Assessment in Primary Care to Identify Undiagnosed Respiratory Disease and Exacerbation Risk (CAPTURE), and Lung Function Questionnaire (LFQ). The patients underwent spirometry testing with further bronchodilator testing for those with FEV₁/FVC values of <0.70. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were drawn for each questionnaire. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive (PPV), negative predictive (NPV), and area under the curve (AUC) values of the optimal cut-off and previously reported scores were estimated and compared.

Results

Of 909 patients who completed the six screening questionnaires and spirometry testing, 330 patients were newly diagnosed with COPD. AUC values for the LFQ, Revised CDQ, COPD-PS, CDQ, COPD-SQ, and CAPTURE were 0.785 (95% confidence interval: 0.752–0.812), 0.762 (0.727–0.795), 0.745 (0.707–0.778), 0.731 (0.695–0.762), 0.703 (0.671–0.734), and 0.667 (0.635–0.702), respectively. The optimal cut-off scores for CDQ, Revised-CDQ, COPD-PS, COPD-SQ, CAPTURE, and LFQ were: 19, 19, 5, 17, 3, and 16 points, respectively. Compared with the previously recommended values, the present cut-off values for the CAPTURE and LFQ had better screening accuracy. The LFQ performed better than the CDQ, COPD-SQ, or CAPTURE. The Revised CDQ performed better than CAPTURE or COPD-SQ. The COPD-PS performed better than CAPTURE.

Conclusion

All six questionnaires can discriminate between subjects with or without COPD. The LFQ performed particularly well. The CAPTURE and LFQ scores of 3 and 16 have better screening accuracy than the scores previously reported.