Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) affects around 1 in 13 Australians over the age of 40 and is the number 1 cause of avoidable hospitalisations in Australia.
World COPD Day was on Wednesday November 16, and Lung Foundation Australia is calling on the state and federal governments to take urgent action to improve COPD care and outcomes that currently cost the Australian health system an estimated $935 million a year.
COPD is a lung condition that worsens over time and leads to increasing breathing difficulty, disability and premature death. It usually affects people aged over 45, but often goes unnoticed or undiagnosed for a long time.
The average length of stay for COPD patients is five days, and it is responsible for more potentially preventable hospitalisations than heart failure and asthma. Despite its huge cost to the medical system, and disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, there’s a lack of community awareness around COPD and pathways to lifelong prevention — and that needs to change.
The five recommendations for COPD reform in Australia include:
1) Lifelong Prevention of COPD.
2) Early and Accurate COPD Risk Identification and Diagnosis.
3) Community Management.
4) Acute Care Management.
5) COPD Research and Translation.
Lung Foundation Australia Board Member, and Respiratory Expert Professor, Christine Jenkins AM said the number of Australians who are living with COPD has risen dramatically over the past several years, and state and federal funding is needed to ensure they have access to top-quality care.
“COPD in Australia is a serious problem that is often underestimated, undiagnosed, and untreated. We urgently need to create pathways for lifelong prevention of COPD, earlier diagnosis, and improved awareness and treatment of this condition,” Prof Jenkins said. “Australia has one of the most advanced healthcare systems in the world, but we are lagging behind in achieving better outcomes for people with COPD.
“Much can be done to address these inadequacies of care delivery, and this Blueprint describes the innovations and changes in service delivery that could accelerate this. It identifies some quick wins but also some essential long-term strategies to address the burden of COPD,” Prof Jenkins said.
Ian Venamore who has been living with the condition for 19 years says much more needs to be done to improve care for people living with COPD.
“The government needs to step up and take action on COPD. They need to invest more in research so that we can find ways to improve treatment and prevent the disease from progressing,” Ian said.
