Development of collaboration between hospitals and clinics in Kyoto and report on Kyoto event
Activities in Kyoto, with a focus on hospital-clinic collaboration and information transmission
Hospital-clinic collaboration: vital for COPD treatment
Diagnosis of COPD and establishment of treatment plans may require respiratory specialists, but 80% of COPD patients have a mild form that can be treated on an outpatient basis during their stable period. Also, hospital-clinic collaboration is considered important in COPD treatment since hospitalization may be necessary during an acute exacerbation (Figure 1). Acute exacerbation is a state in which clinical condition worsens exceeding normal circadian fluctuations and the treatment plans must be altered, mostly resulting from respiratory infections.
Hospital-clinic collaboration is advancing in Kyoto and a patient-centered networking is being formed (Figure 2).
First a detailed pulmonary function test (lung volumes, pulmonary diffusing capacity), a chest CT, and an exercise capacity test are performed. A treatment plan is determined by hospital specialists for each patient. The plan can include drug therapy, rehabilitation and/or home oxygen therapy. When the patient's condition becomes stable, he or she is referred back to the clinic, and while maintaining daily management, immediate hospital care is made available for the patient in case of acute exacerbation.
To promote the hospital-clinic collaboration, it is necessary to hold study meetings with specialists and non-specialists to discuss etiology and diagnosis, drug therapy, rehabilitation and home care, and transmit information to general practitioners. It is also important to provide the general public with information through open seminars or free spirometry testing events (Table 1). This year, as a special feature on the COPD round-table discussion in a Kyoto newspaper, an article was published to promote COPD education among the general public and health care professionals in Kyoto. Because smoking cessation is important for prevention of onset or progression of COPD, anti-smoking campaigns held in Kyoto including smoking cessation seminars, dispatching instructors to schools and lending educational materials for smoking prevention. Placing warnings on cigarette packages are also useful to promote COPD education.
Figure 1
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Figure 2
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Table 1
Requirement for COPD Hospital-Clinic Collaboration
1. Study meetings with specialists and non-specialists
2. Transmission of information to general practitioners
3. Provision of information to the general public
4. Anti-smoking campaign |
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'Checking Event' to educate the public about COPD
This year, we organized a COPD Checking Event in Kyoto as a part of the World COPD Day
activities (Photo 1). Free spirometry testing was conducted, and at the same time distribution of
COPD educational materials, panel displays, and smoking cessation consultations were held. We received assistance from the
Kyoto Smoking-Cessation Consultants Network (Kyoto Kinen Suishin Kenkyukai) which is actively disseminating smoking cessation
under the leadership of the Kyoto Medical Association.
Of the 751 participants of the COPD Checking Event, 62 people (8.3%) had a forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)
of less than 70%. Abnormal spirometric findings were seen more in males, people with a smoking history, and in elderly
people, and the ratio of people with respiratory symptoms were higher among people with abnormal spirometric findings.
In order to educate people about COPD and smoking cessation for prevention, transmission of the information to the
general public is essential. In the year 2006, the Asia Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR) meeting will be held in Kyoto.
I hope this will be an inspiration for the COPD education of the general public.
Photo 1
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