In this study, we established a 4-y community-based
health management intervention program6 and evaluated its efficacy for improving the health status of patients with COPD by monitoring a number of relevant indices, such as the BODE (body mass index [B], degree of air-flow obstruction [O], level of functional dyspnea [D], and exercise capacity [E]) index. We wanted to develop and validate a reliable strategy for effective COPD management in the community setting.