Integrated Care: What does this Mean for the COPD Patient?

Abstract

Despite remarkable advances in medicine and technology, the management of the patient with COPD is often inefficient and fragmented. Optimizing care for these individuals requires that a proactive, patient-centered, defragmented and integrated plan of care. Integrated care, which draws heavily from the chronic care model, incorporating holistic, self-management and care coordination principles to meet the needs of the complex COPD patient, is a desirable approach to improving medical management. The relationship of integrated care to other, similar conceptual models, including self-management, disease management, care coordination, and patient centered medical home is discussed.

Biologics for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Present and Future

“…For example, there is evidence that inflammation associated with COPD increases the risk of developing heart disease and lung cancer 8 . Therefore, the management of patients with COPD requires an integrated comprehensive care approach 9 . A comprehensive review of all aspects of COPD management is not the purpose of this review.…”