Patient requires more attention to influence lung disease on daily life

People with asthma and COPD are satisfied with the medical care provided and treatment by health care providers. However, they experienced too little attention to the impact that asthma or COPD to everyday life. While patients have right there in need of support.

So experienced people with asthma or COPD by respiratory symptoms relatively many problems related to work and sexuality. Also reporting people with lung disease, more than healthy people, problems with daily activities, social contacts and participation in the society. People with COPD also suffer more often with financial problems.

Patient requires more attention to influence lung disease on daily life


Monitor
This is evident from the "Monitor care and living conditions of people with asthma or COPD - Trends and developments over the period 2001-2012," which is performed by NIVEL (Dutch Institute for Health Services Research) grant from the Long Fund.

In the Netherlands, half a million people with asthma and approximately 320,000 people with COPD live. Asthma and COPD are chronic lung disease that is not curable. Asthma treatment focuses on controlling asthma symptoms using drugs.

In people with COPD, treatment, in addition to drugs increasingly from lifestyle interventions, such as assistance in stopping smoking, more exercise and nutritional advice. While this is important, it does not seem sufficient.

For example, many people with asthma or COPD experience problems with their work. They often suffer from fatigue, doing less per day than they would like, or have difficulties to perform. Their tasks Precisely for these consequences in the daily work, they need more support.
But also in participation in social activities, sports and long-term consequences of their illness, they need targeted support.

Integrated Approach 
NIVEL researcher Monique Heijmans, "This need for care, which is much broader than just respiratory symptoms, requires a broad approach. An integrated approach in which the patient with his or her potential and problems centered and where in addition to the general practitioner and specialist other parties involved such as the network of the patient, home care, physiotherapist and nurse process could certainly help. That integrated approach can be stimulated by using the existing care standards. Use It includes a description of what constitutes good care for asthma or COPD, and stressed that care should meet the care needs of the patient.

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