A COPD Quality Improvement Program（QIP）

Overview

QIP(Quality Improvement Programme) is a COPD quality improvement program in China. The initial step of this program is to set up the Quality Standards(QS) of COPD management in clinical practice, then embed Quality Standards into routine care and uses Quality Control Indicators (QCI)to check the QS implementation. The aim of the QIP program is to standardize COPD management in clinical practice in China, including the standardization of diagnosis, assessment, pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, and follow-up. COPD patients can benefit from standardization clinical behaviours, to be identified early, be accessed comprehensively, and be treated correctly according to guidelines, and with an appropriate follow-up to improve adherence.

Background and Rationale Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is currently the most common chronic respiratory disease in China which causes a huge economic and social burden. Acute Exacerbation is a crucial issue that cannot be ignored in the management of COPD. Patients with frequent exacerbations have been found to have greater airflow limitation, a greater symptom burden, increased mortality, and worsen the quality of life (QoL). However, The COPD management of those patients in clinical practice is poor in China. Patients with a low standard of care, lack of regularly pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, and insufficient follow-up and disease education in clinical practice. Objectives and Outcomes QIP(Quality Improvement Programme) is a COPD quality improvement program in China. The initial step of this program is to set up the Quality Standards(QS) of COPD management in clinical practice, then embed Quality Standards into routine care and uses Quality Control Indicators (QCI)to check the QS implementation. The aim of the QIP program is to standardize COPD management in clinical practice in China, including the standardization of diagnosis, assessment, pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, and follow-up. COPD patients can benefit from standardization clinical behaviours, to be identified early, be accessed comprehensively, and be treated correctly according to guidelines, and with an appropriate follow-up to improve adherence. The objective of QIP study is to address key gaps in management of patients with high-risk through a targeted quality improvement programme in a healthcare system or practice. The aim is to evaluate the impact of QS implementation on target population compared to usual care in a real-world setting, including but not limited to COPD exacerbation, lung function, quality of life, and treatment pattern. Study design This is a interventional, cluster-randomized, pragmatic clinical study. A total of 41 hospitals will be selected. Among them, 40 eligible hospitals will be selected across China and randomized (stratified by tier and geographic region) to the intervention group or control group at the ratio of 1:1. In addition, the leading site will be assigned to the intervention group without following the randomization procedure. In the intervention group, QS implementation will be performed. The control group will maintain the current practice. Eligible patients will be recruited in both groups and will be followed up every 12 weeks for 48 weeks.