Patients have to integrate their COPD into their everyday life; so periodic assessments of patients' quality of life should be
performed as part of a comprehensive package of care. A more specific and focused approach to ascertaining the impact of their condition on quality of life might lead to a better tailoring of care to individual needs. It is important that the
patients present their own perceived health related quality of life, as this may differ substantially from the health care professionals’ perception of the impact of the disease on the individual. The use of validated assessment tools in the consultation help to focus the health care professional’s attention to the patients' true needs and can stimulate tailored interventions.8 The Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) (Available from http://www.ccq.nl) and the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) (avaialbel from http://www.catestonline.org) are simple, quick and easy to use assessment tools which may assist with eliciting the impact of COPD on the patient.