Asthma, Lung Diseases, Obstructive
Conditions
Keywords
COPD, Asthma, Lung function, Monitoring, Primary Care
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a written expert advice for GPs on additional diagnostic, treatment, and referral of patients based on half-yearly monitoring routines for patients with COPD or ashtma with a persistent obstruction in primary care based on a multicentre randomised nested clinical trial
Detailed description
In the Netherlands, the majority of patients (60-80 %) with asthma or COPD are treated in primary care, primarily by General Practitioners (GPs). In 1995 a Regional Diagnostic Centre, Etten-Leur, The Netherlands (also called SHL: Stichting Huisartsen Laboratorium) started a lung function monitoring service for patients with asthma and COPD of GPs in the region. The GP receives recommendations on treatment, additional diagnostics and referrals of the patient based on extensive anamnesis (i.e. dyspnoea, symptoms, smoking stage), measurement of lung function, and BMI. Moreover,the general practitioners are supported by an Asthma/COPD nurse that visit the general practice half-yearly. Main research question of this study: Is a written expert advice for GPs on additional diagnostic, treatment, and referral of patients based on half-yearly monitoring of patients with COPD or asthma with a persistent airway obstruction with support of an AC nurse consultant related to less impaired health related quality of life (HRQoL), less symptoms and better lung function of the patients compared to usual care? A multi-centre, single blinded (patient, lung function assistant, advisor, and research team are blinded), parallel group study is carried out to compare the monitoring intervention with usual care during 24 months. General practices were allocated by a minimisation procedure and all participating patients of a general practice were allocated to the same treatment group (nested design).
Interventions
DEVICEhalf-yearly monitoring routine
A written expert advice for GPs on additional diagnostic, treatment, and referral of patients with asthma and COPD based on half-yearly monitoring routines (lung function assessments including extensive anamnese) supported by half-yearly visits of an AC nurse consultant to the general practices.
Sponsors
PICASSO: Partners in Care Solutions for COPD
Radboud University Medical Center
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
25 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* The patient is categorised as asthmatic disease with persistent airway obstruction or COPD in the monitoring system SHL confirmed by the most recent lung function assessment (FEV1/FVC \< 70% after BD and FEV1 ≥ 50% pred after BD) or (FEV1 \< 80% predicted after BD and ≥ 9% reversibility) * The patient is monitored by the AC service of the SHL. * The GP of the patient is willing to participate in the trial. * Written informed consent of participant
Exclusion criteria
* Patients treated primary by a pulmonologist * Patients currently participating in another respiratory intervention study * When the GP considers it detrimental to the patient to participate in the study * Serious other non-pulmonary diseases (or disease-stages) that are presumed to lead to lost to follow-up because of the severity of the disease course (like diseases with low survival rate or mental deterioration) * Serious other pulmonary diseases that effect bronchial symptoms and/or lung function, e.g. sarcoidosis, lung cancer, lung fibrosis * Illiteracy
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Disease-specific health related quality of life assessed with the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ-SR) | At baseline, after one year follow-up, and after two years follow-up |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Number of exacerbations; generic HRQoL (SF12); lung function indices; level of respiratory symptoms (MRC); satisfaction with the health care received (EuroPep); direct and indirect medical costs. | Yearly: SF12, MRC, exacerbations; At baseline and end of the trial: EuroPEP, lung function indices; Continues by general practitioner registration: costs and exacerbations |
| Moreover special attention will be paid to process evaluation (e.g, compliance to recommendations by general practitioner and patients). | half-yearly for general practitioners and yearly for patients |
Countries
Netherlands
Outcome results
None listed