A proactive Integrated approach to identifying “treatable traits” in people with COPD in primary care

Supervisors:

• Dr Thomas Ward tom.ward@leicester.ac.uk
• Dr Claire Lawson Cl417@leicester.ac.uk

COPD affects 1.2 million people in the UK and is nearly twice as prevalent in the highest socioeconomic decile compared to the lowest. In the UK, COPD is largely managed in primary care however, there are an increasing number of specialist interventions shown to improve symptoms or reduce exacerbations for people with certain “treatable traits”. However, access to specialist intervention is reactive, resulting in significant inequalities in the provision of care. A more proactive approach, in which individuals who may benefit from specialist intervention are identified from routine medical records, may help to tackle this inequality in access. 

Objectives:
1. To understand current specialist referral practices in COPD and explore potential barriers to access including the effects of protected characteristics,
2. To co-design, with patients and clinicians, a comprehensive assessment model for people with COPD and “treatable traits” identified from their primary care record.

Methods
1) – Mixed methods exploratory analysis using patient focus groups and a primary care database study (CPRD) to understand current healthcare usage and explore potential barriers to access for individuals with COPD and “treatable traits”.
2) –Co-design a comprehensive assessment model for individuals with COPD and “treatable traits” who may be eligible for specialist intervention.