Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive and common lung condition that obstructs the airways, making breathing difficult. COPD is usually caused by smoking, sustained exposure to fumes or very dusty environments. COPD can be prevented, and even when it develops it can be treated.  Unfortunately, COPD cannot be cured. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and by 2020 it is projected to become the third leading cause of death. COPD has a higher mortality rate than Asthma and is significantly more costly.  In 2000, the annual costs related to COPD were estimated to be approximately $30.4 billion, with $14.7 billion in direct health care costs (physician and emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and medication) and $15.7 billion in indirect costs (restricted physical activity and loss of work place productivity).

The goals of ForeSee Health’s COPD program are to assess and manage the severity of COPD symptoms, reduce risk factors that contribute to the progression of the disease, and improve functional status and quality of life. Designed and monitored by physician experts in pulmonary medicine and primary care, our program focuses on patient education to improve self-management skills that lead to decreased mortality and morbidity. ForeSee Health’s comprehensive approach generates savings by emphasizing rationales for smoking cessation and the importance of medication and treatment compliance; risk avoidance; effective techniques for managing breathing, exercise and nutritional status; and prevention of exacerbations that lead to hospitalizations.

Measured outcomes of the COPD program include reduction of hospital admissions or readmissions and decreasing the number of hospital days and length of stay. The program also focuses attention on the moderately acute participants with COPD. All moderate risk participants receive a Health Risk Assessment that focuses on the COPD risk factors that may lead to exacerbations and hospitalizations. Depending on the responses, preventive interventions including RN Care Management and targeted education materials are implemented for the individual participant.

ForeSee Health’s Medical Advisory Committee for Respiratory Disorders has selected the Global Initiative for Chronic Lung Disease Report (Executive Summary, 2006) as its basis for developing measurements, risk stratifications, disease/care management strategies, and patient/provider interventions. These guidelines are shared with participating physicians and participants. All COPD educational materials, including newsletters and educational “tip sheets”, are developed and continually assessed for compliance with these guidelines.