The STREET (Structured Efficient E-Tracking) Project for early COPD Diagnosis and Care

Abstract

Background: About 30% of COPD diagnosis at first Spirometry are classified as GOLD 3-4 (Mapel et al. Int J COPD 2011), with a FEV1<50% of predicted, the more severe and resource consuming group. Therefore, improving early COPD diagnosis, ideally the GOLD 1 group (reported as <20%) is a strategic target.

Aim: In an area serving about 270.000 habitants, the National Health Service by Azienda Sanitaria Locale 2 Savonese, Savona, Italy) will promote COPD case finding (on at risk subjects) by offering in a primary care setting a quality controlled spirometry (on line checked by the Pulmonology Division). The proposed Real Life Observational Study (STructured Efficient E-Tracking, STREET project) on consecutively enrolled COPD subjects will be able to record on a database:

a)   how many at risk subjects are affected by COPD (those with a postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC <0.7),

b)   and at which level of functional (GOLD 1, 2, 3, 4) and clinical (GOLD A, B, C, D) severity;

and to monitor for each COPD for at least 1 year the:

a)   the prescribed therapy (LABD, LABD/ICS),

b)   patients' drug adherence by Medication Possession Ratio (by a validated drug refilling program elaborated by ASL2 informatic service).

c)   moderate and severe exacerbations

d)   hospitalizations.

The observational is ongoing and preliminary data will be available for september 2022.