Sept. 6, 2016 Europe Practice

Telerehabilitation for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Denmark

A pilot programme to test home-based telerehabilitation for COPD patients was designed and implemented by researchers at Aalborg University; a supportive political and legislative environment provided a platform for furthering the development of e-health and telemedicine; partnerships with stakeholders outside the health sector supported the development of telemedicine and helped drive service delivery transformations; patients were given a more active role in care and new collaborative partnerships between patients and providers were developed; success of the initial pilot led to a larger-scale study with greater involvement of regional and municipal actors.

June 14, 2017 Europe Publication

Impact of Integrated Care Model (ICM) on Direct Medical Costs in Management of Advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a commonly diagnosed condition in people older than 50 years of age. In advance stage of this disease, integrated care (IC) is recommended as an optimal approach. IC allows for holistic and patient-focused care carried out at the patient´s home. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of IC on costs of care and on demand for medical services among patients included in IC. The high costs of care in advance COPD indicate the need for new forms of effective care. IC caussed a decrease in costs and in the number of hospitalization, with a simultaneous increase in the number of GP visits.