Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a lung disease characterized by chronic, irreversible airway obstruction that can precipitate into acute exacerbations (AECOPD) of cough, dyspnea and sputum production, often requiring hospitalization. Hospital systems aiming to improve outcomes for patients with AECOPD are testing innovative approaches to care in the acute care setting. To enroll [...]

Background: COPD exacerbations are among the leading causes of hospital readmissions. According to the COPD Foundation, in 2013, 22% patients admitted for COPD exacerbation required readmission within 30 days of discharge. This represents a significant burden in terms of morbidity for these patients and increased cost to the healthcare system. The COPD readmission rate during [...]

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the 4th leading cause of death and a major driver of healthcare utilization worldwide. Established guidelines exist for hospitalized patients with COPD yet adherence to these has been found in multiple studies to be low. Our question is which Quality Improvement system changes best reduce healthcare utilization and [...]

Background: Avoiding preventable readmissions is a major goal of health care systems nationwide1. The Cardiorespiratory cohort consists of Veterans admitted with a diagnosis of CHF, COPD and non-COVID-19 Pneumonia, and is a high-risk group for readmissions. As part of a larger National VA High Reliability Organization (HRO) Collaborative2, an interdisciplinary team was launched to achieve [...]

Background: In 2019, the US Food & Drug Administration issued a warning regarding safety of gabapentin use in patients with respiratory conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Gabapentin is widely prescribed, often for off-label indications, however limited data exist regarding safety and outcomes among patients with COPD. Methods: We analyzed data from 29 US [...]