For a study, researchers sought to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients managed in primary care in the United States. The COPD Optimum Patient Care DARTNet Research Database, which served as the foundation for the Advancing the Patient Experience COPD registry, provided the data for the observational registry study. Patients in the register had reached the age of 35 or older at the time of diagnosis. Electronic health record data were obtained from both registries and patient-reported information and outcomes from the Advancing the Patient Experience registry from 5 primary care groups in Texas, Ohio, Colorado, New York, and North Carolina (June 2019 through November 2020). Of the included 17,192 patients, 1,354 were registered in the Advancing the Patient Experience registry. The majority of patients were female (56%; 9,689/17,192), White (64%; 9,732/15,225), current/former smokers (80%; 13,784/17,192), and overweight/obese (69%; 11,689/16,849). Inhaled corticosteroid with a long-acting β2-agonist (30%) and inhaled corticosteroid with a long-acting muscarinic antagonist were the most often prescribed maintenance therapies (27%). Although 3% (565/17.192) of patients were untreated, 9% (1,587/17.192) were receiving short-acting bronchodilator monotherapy, and 4% (756/17.192) were receiving inhaled corticosteroid monotherapy. Despite treatment, 38% (6,579/17,192) of patients suffered 1 or more exacerbations within the previous 12 months. Many patients reported a high or very high impact of disease on their health in the Advancing Patient Experience registry (43%; 580/1,322), a breathlessness score of 2 or higher (45%; 588/1,315), and 1 or more exacerbation in the previous 12 months (50%; 646/1,294). The findings highlighted the significant exacerbation, symptom, and treatment burdens of COPD patients in the US and the requirement for further real-world effectiveness trials to aid primary care decision-making.
Source – annfammed.org/content/20/4/319
