This trial investigates the effectiveness and costeffectiveness
of two alternative modes of systematic
case-finding for COPD compared with routine care.
Previously undiagnosed patients aged 40 years and over
with a positive smoking history will either receive a respiratory
questionnaire when they routinely visit their
surgery, or will also receive a questionnaire through the
post. Those with indicative respiratory symptoms will
be offered spirometry to diagnose COPD. There are
many strengths of this study including: it is the first of
this design based in a large sample of GP practices with
a comparator group; it is set in a range of GP practices
representative of urban UK; it has a pragmatic design
which should reflect real life; the spirometry will be the
best quality possible with highly trained staff and quality
control; there will be a full cost-effectiveness analysis
and also sensitivity analyses to reflect a range of scenarios;
the effects will be explored across the range of GPs
involved, allowing the cost-effectiveness in different
types of GPs to be assessed. This trial should inform
practice across the UK and elsewhere with similar
healthcare systems, and help to direct current effort towards
case-finding more efficiently.
However, a study of this size and complexity has many
challenges. We will be coordinating a large number of
practices, and as a screening trial, thousands of patients
and patient data. Accurately identifying appropriate patients
from GP databases with their complex coding is a
known problem. It is not known how patients will respond
to questionnaires, and whether (or how often) it
is practical for GP staff to give out screening questionnaires
during routine visits. These are some of the feasibility
outcomes we will be measuring. Coordinating and
arranging patient assessments with the dual issues of patient
and GP capacity will also be a challenge, especially
in the short time-frame. And finally, it will be important
to discuss how this approach can be rolled out from a
trial setting into routine practice.
This trial investigates the effectiveness and costeffectiveness
of two alternative modes of systematic
case-finding for COPD compared with routine care.
Previously undiagnosed patients aged 40 years and over
with a positive smoking history will either receive a respiratory
questionnaire when they routinely visit their
surgery, or will also receive a questionnaire through the
post. Those with indicative respiratory symptoms will
be offered spirometry to diagnose COPD. There are
many strengths of this study including: it is the first of
this design based in a large sample of GP practices with
a comparator group; it is set in a range of GP practices
representative of urban UK; it has a pragmatic design
which should reflect real life; the spirometry will be the
best quality possible with highly trained staff and quality
control; there will be a full cost-effectiveness analysis
and also sensitivity analyses to reflect a range of scenarios;
the effects will be explored across the range of GPs
involved, allowing the cost-effectiveness in different
types of GPs to be assessed. This trial should inform
practice across the UK and elsewhere with similar
healthcare systems, and help to direct current effort towards
case-finding more efficiently.
However, a study of this size and complexity has many
challenges. We will be coordinating a large number of
practices, and as a screening trial, thousands of patients
and patient data. Accurately identifying appropriate patients
from GP databases with their complex coding is a
known problem. It is not known how patients will respond
to questionnaires, and whether (or how often) it
is practical for GP staff to give out screening questionnaires
during routine visits. These are some of the feasibility
outcomes we will be measuring. Coordinating and
arranging patient assessments with the dual issues of patient
and GP capacity will also be a challenge, especially
in the short time-frame. And finally, it will be important
to discuss how this approach can be rolled out from a
trial setting into routine practice.
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