Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease which commonly presents with breathing difficulties, often with cough and sometimes chest infections. Some patients have COPD but do not receive a diagnosis. This delays initiation of treatment, which is crucial to prevent disease progression, may prevent them from leading a good quality of life, and may even shorten their life. This study aims to describe the proportion of COPD patients who do not have a diagnosis of the disease but later on eventually die and have COPD as the cause of death on their death certificate. This is important as we need to know whether additional public health plans should include more focus on finding patients who have not been diagnosed.
This is a retrospective cohort study using CPRD data with the aim of examining the characteristics of patients with undiagnosed COPD. Previous research suggests that opportunities to diagnose COPD at early disease stages are missed and that delays of diagnosis can take up to 20 years. As a result, the objective of this study is to investigate the proportion of patients who remain undiagnosed but eventually have COPD as their underlying cause of death, and to compare, among patients who die of COPD, those diagnosed with COPD to those who do not have any evidence of COPD diagnosis in their medical records. Descriptive statistics will be used to describe the proportion of diagnosed vs undiagnosed. We will then use logistic regression models to identify factors associated with no diagnosis of COPD. The results of this study can be used to inform potential disease screening public health initiatives and help identify any potential predictive factors for undiagnosed COPD mortality.
This is a retrospective cohort study using CPRD data with the aim of examining the characteristics of patients with undiagnosed COPD. Previous research suggests that opportunities to diagnose COPD at early disease stages are missed and that delays of diagnosis can take up to 20 years. As a result, the objective of this study is to investigate the proportion of patients who remain undiagnosed but eventually have COPD as their underlying cause of death, and to compare, among patients who die of COPD, those diagnosed with COPD to those who do not have any evidence of COPD diagnosis in their medical records. Descriptive statistics will be used to describe the proportion of diagnosed vs undiagnosed. We will then use logistic regression models to identify factors associated with no diagnosis of COPD. The results of this study can be used to inform potential disease screening public health initiatives and help identify any potential predictive factors for undiagnosed COPD
mortality.
- Factors associated with not receiving a COPD diagnosis among patients whose underlying cause of death is COPD
Jennifer Quint - Chief Investigator - Imperial College London
Alicia Gayle - Corresponding Applicant - Imperial College London
Alexandra Lenoir - Collaborator - Imperial College London
Cosetta Minelli - Collaborator - Imperial College London
HES Admitted Patient Care;ONS Death Registration Data;Patient Level Index of Multiple Deprivation