Avoiding hospital admission in COPD: Impact of a specialist nursing team

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, preventable and incurable disease. The costs of caring for patients with COPD is estimated to be more than €800 million a year for acute hospital admissions alone (Department of Health, 2012). The hospital-at-home model is increasingly being adopted for COPD patients following British Thoracic Society (BTS) guidelines for the delivery of hospital admission-avoidance schemes (BTS, 2007). The aim of this case-note review was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a specialist nurse-led acute respiratory assessment service working with COPD patients in the community. The review recorded patient flow through the service and documented assessments and treatments. It was able to document potential benefits and cost savings.