Lungnet

The Australian Lung Foundation recognizes the pivotal role to be played by general practice in this campaign and has devoted significant time and resources to ensure GPs are aware of the campaign, aware of ALF support available to them and are prepared for an increase in the number of patients seeking advice about their lung health.

To keep general practitioners informed of the campaign, the ALF has been working with GP Connect and the Southern Queensland Rural Division of General Practice to get as much information out to General Practice as possible.

In addition, the ALF will be contacting all general practitioners and practice managers in the Toowoomba area, including Boodua, Clifton, Crows Nest, Dalby, Goombungee, Goondiwindi, Oakey, Millmeran, Pittsworth, Stanthorpe, Texas, Warwick and Withcott.

By the end of second week in August, each general practice will have been supplied with an information pack outlining details of the campaign along with important resources produced by The Australian Lung Foundation to support GPs in the diagnosis and management of COPD.

General practitioners will also be asked to help the ALF evaluate the campaign by participating in a pre-campaign survey and a follow-up post-campaign survey (see below).

Spirometers

Another important message of the GP information campaign is to encourage practices to ensure that their spirometers are calibrated and ready for increased use! For those practices that choose not to do their own spirometry, the respiratory lab at St Vincent’s Hospital can do spirometry on referral (phone: 4688-5472).

Evaluation

This important pilot program will be fully evaluated and possibly taken out more widely throughout Australia.

However, this will only happen if we get the support of GPs who believe in the program. A pre-campaign survey has been faxed to all practices to be completed. This will be followed up after the campaign with a follow-up survey. Please take 5 minutes to fill this out. YOUR SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL TO ENSURE WE ARE ABLE TO CARRY OUT MORE PROGRAMS LIKE THIS.

GP Resources

The ALF has a range of resources that support general practice in the diagnosis and management of COPD.

• COPDX Checklist
• COPD Action Plan – also available in Medical Director
• COPD-X Management Guidelines (www.copdx.org.au )
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation

COPDX Checklist  COPDX Checklist 546.23 Kb This two-sided COPD guide, has been developed for general practitioners to support them in the diagnosis and management of COPD. The Checklist has been developed based on the ALF/TSANZ developed COPD-X Management Guidelines www.copdx.org.au. To order copies of the COPD Checklist email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
COPD Action Plan  COPD Action Plan 210.44 Kb The COPD Action Plan (also available in Medical Director) is a resource for General Practitioners to use as the basis of a self management plan for their patients with COPD. The Action Plan has been developed based on the ALF/TSANZ developed COPD-X Management Guidelines at www.copdx.org.au Action Plans are produced in convenient pads of 10 tear-off sheets. Together with each patient, GPs can discuss the patient’s COPD self-management plan and fill in the patient’s tailored Action Plan for their home use.
COPD-X Management Guidelines The COPD-X Plan The COPD-X Plan: Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for the management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 2007 have been developed by the Australian Lung Foundation and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand as part of a national COPD program.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a proven self-management program that is effective in improving quality of life of people with COPD and reducing hospital admissions . Pulmonary rehabilitation is effective in all levels of COPD.

The primary aim of pulmonary rehabilitation is to improve quality of life and restore patients to the highest possible level of independent functioning. The goals of pulmonary rehabilitation are therefore:

• to increase exercise tolerance in order to reduce disability
• to improve adherence to recommended treatments
• to reduce frequency and severity of symptoms
• to improve mood and motivation
• to reduce dependency
• to enhance participation in therapy decisions by building self-management capacity
• to increase participation in everyday activities
• to improve quality of life
• to reduce health care burden for patients, families and communities
• to improve survival

The Australian Lung Foundation maintains a database of pulmonary rehabilitation programs throughout Australia.
Call 1 800 654 301 for the program information.

In Toowoomba, two pulmonary rehabilitation programs are available.
Contact details are:

1. National Prescribing Service. NPS News. August 1999. !ISSN 1441-7421. Found at http://www.nps.org.au/resources/NPS_News/news05/news05.pdf

Content updated March 10, 2008