Clinical Guidance
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Clinical guidance and practice resources for family physicians
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects around 15 million people in the U.S.* Chronic lower respiratory diseases, including COPD, are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the third leading cause of death worldwide.**
The evidence-based clinical guidance and patient education resources on this page support family physicians in caring for patients who have COPD through diagnosis, treatment, and coordination of care.
COPD Clinician Care Kit
How to talk about COPD with patients
COPD overview | Familydoctor.org
This page provides patients with an overview of COPD, including causes, symptoms, how COPD is diagnosed and treated, FAQs and a list of questions for them to ask you. The page also includes a YouTube video featuring step-by-step directions for inhaler use, so your patients can receive the full benefit of their COPD medication.
COPD exacerbations | Familydoctor.org
This page provides patients with an overview of COPD exacerbations, and how they can prevent these potentially serious and even life threatening events.
Shared decision-making guide
The five-step SHARE Approach (Seek, Help, Assess, Reach, Evaluate) facilitates shared decision-making between you and your patients, reducing risk factors and preventing or reducing exacerbations.
Inside Family Medicine Podcast
In this episode of Inside Family Medicine we hear from Dr. Barbara Yawn, a family physician and clinical researcher and former Chief Science Officer at the COPD Foundation, about recognizing and managing COPD exacerbations in primary care. Dr. Yawn explains why COPD is often missed due to gradual symptom onset and patients minimizing symptoms, and stresses asking targeted questions about dyspnea, activity tolerance, chronic cough, sputum changes, and frequent colds. She reviews recognizing exacerbations, instructions to call the office, outpatient treatment with short courses of systemic corticosteroids and antibiotics, and considering alternative diagnoses such as heart failure, pulmonary embolus, and pneumonia.
Scenario-based practice resources
COPD exacerbations: treatment & diagnosis
COPD exacerbations are serious and potentially preventable events that significantly increase morbidity and mortality. Proper assessment, diagnosis and management in accordance with practice guidelines are essential to improving patient outcomes and reducing the risks associated with exacerbations.
This fact sheet and accompanying video highlight the importance of follow-up care, treatable traits, and the role of family physicians and care teams.
Clinical guidance on COPD exacerbation risk & management
Early identification of patients at risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations is critical.
This fact sheet and video highlight how using key diagnostic markers including prior exacerbations using eosinophil counts from a complete blood count with differential and the recognition of comorbidities, such as asthma, will help you determine the best prevention strategies.
Addressing nonadherence to COPD treatment: A team-based challenge
Nonadherence isn't just a patient problem—it’s a health care team challenge. System-level barriers, limited time, and changes in insurance coverage can all contribute to nonadherence to COPD treatment.
This fact sheet and accompanying video provide guidance on a proactive, nonjudgmental approach to address nonadherence before it leads to worse symptoms and avoidable exacerbations.
*This content was independently developed by the AAFP with support provided by Sanofi and Regeneron.
Screening Recommendations
At this time, screening is not recommended by the USPSTF for COPD in asymptomatic adults. Read more
Treatment and Management Recommendations
Management of Acute Exacerbations of COPD
Developed by the AAFP (April 2021)
Management of Stable COPD: GOLD Guidelines
The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) is a resource that provides a review of evidence with practice considerations and is widely used by clinicians in managing stable COPD. As this document is not a clinical practice guideline, it did not meet the criteria to be reviewed by the AAFP for endorsement.
Managing Your Practice
Quality Measures: Identify Opportunities to Improve Patient Care
AAFP TIPS Topic on Quality Improvement
Train your team on the benefits, concepts, and steps of the quality improvement process to enhance the care you provide. Includes two online learning courses, three customizable slide decks, and six downloadable tools. CME: 1 AAFP Prescribed credit; Free to members.
Coding & Payment: How to Support Chronic Care Management Services
Coordinated Care and Care Management Tools and Resources
FPM Journal
Coding Common Respiratory Problems in ICD-10
Implementation Tools and Considerations
On-Demand Webcast: Spectrum of COPD Treatment
This free recorded webcast covers best practices for care coordination, COPD co-morbidities, environmental factors, how social determinants of health influence the condition, and more.
Pharmacologic Management of COPD Exacerbations
Developed by the AAFP and approved in April 2021
Education
Clinican Education
Continuing Medical Education
View applicable courses in:
Pulmonary Medicine
Respiratory Conditions
AFP Journal
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Patient Education
From Familydoctor.org
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Acute Bronchitis
How to Use a Metered Dose Inhaler
Other Related Resources
* Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Xu J, et al. Deaths: final data for 2014. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2016;65(4):1-122. AND #2. Ford ES, Murphy LB, Khavjou O, et al. Total and state-specific medical and absenteeism costs of COPD among adults aged ≥ 18 years in the United States for 2010 and projections through 2020. Chest. 2015; 147(1):31-45.
** Murphy SL, Xu J, Kochanek KD, et al. Mortality in the United States, 2017. NCHS Data Brief. 2018;(328):1-8. AND #4. GBD 2016 Causes of Death Collaborators. Global, regional, and national age-sex specific mortality for 264 causes of death, 1980-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 [published correction appears in Lancet. 2017;390(10106):e38]. Lancet. 2017;390(10100):1151-1210.