Opportunities to improve asthma and COPD prevention and care: insights from the patient journey obtained through focus groups.

BACKGROUND: The healthcare experiences of patients hold valuable insights for improving the quality of services related to their well-being. We therefore invited and explored the perspectives of patients living with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on their interaction with the systems supporting health, in order to identify opportunities to improve services to prevent, treat and manage these conditions. METHODS: Two virtual focus groups were held in August 2021, one for adult asthma and one for COPD, to learn of patients' experiences receiving care for these conditions in the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) region of British Columbia. Participants were recruited through online postings or their clinician. We discussed the care pathway for each condition and invited participants to share their experiences of the past 5 years, specifically their reflections on the process, including feelings, points of praise and frustration, and opportunities for improvement in this context. Composite patient journey maps were developed for each condition to reflect the experiences shared. Audio recordings of the focus groups were transcribed and used in qualitative data analysis. RESULTS: Thematic analysis revealed the following as possible areas for improvement: low public awareness of asthma and COPD and associated risk factors, non-standardised diagnosis pathways that delay diagnosis, and inconsistency in delivering valued aspects of care such as supports for self-management, trust-inspiring acute care, empowering patient communication and timely access to care. CONCLUSION: We successfully used focus groups to generate composite journey maps of the experiences of patients living with asthma (n=8) and COPD (n=9) to identify features that these patients consider important for improving the healthcare system for asthma and COPD in VCH. Health professionals, decision makers and patient advocates in VCH and beyond can consider these insights when evaluating, and planning changes to, current practices and policies in service delivery.

A programme to improve quality of care for patients with chronic diseases, Kazakhstan.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a disease management programme in Kazakhstan on quality indicators for patients with hypertension, diabetes and chronic heart failure. METHODS: A supportive, interdisciplinary, quality improvement programme was implemented between November 2014 and November 2015 at seven polyclinics in Pavlodar and Petropavlovsk. Quality improvement teams were established at each clinic and quality improvement tools were introduced, including patient flowsheets, decision support tools, patient registries, a patient recall process, support for patient self-management and patient follow-up with intensity adjusted for level of disease control. Clinic teams met for four 3-day interactive learning sessions within 1 year, with additional coaching visits. Implementation was managed by five local coordinators and consultants trained by international consultants. National and regional steering committees monitored progress. FINDINGS: Between July and October 2015, the proportion of hypertensive patients with the recommended blood pressure increased from 24% (101/424) to 56% (228/409). Among patients with diabetes, the proportion who recently underwent eye examinations increased from 26% (101/391) to 71% (308/433); the proportion who had their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol measured increased from 57% (221/391) to 85% (369/433); and the proportion who had their albumin : creatinine ratio measured increased from 11% (44/391) to 49% (212/433). The proportion of chronic heart failure patients who underwent echocardiography rose from 91% (128/140) to 99% (157/158). All patients set themselves self-management goals. CONCLUSION: This intensive, supportive, multifaceted programme was associated with significant improvements in quality of care for patients with chronic disease. Further investment in coaching capacity is needed to extend the programme nationally.

Palliative trajectory markers for end-stage heart failure. Or "oh Toto. This doesn't look like kancerous!".

Heart failure is a complex syndrome with a high morbidity and mortality rate. The Canadian mortality rate is between 25% and 40% annually. End-stage heart failure patients suffer from many debilitating symptoms. Palliative symptom management and funding programs can assist many of these patients. Unfortunately, designating a heart failure patient as palliative with a trajectory of six months or less is not an easy task. This is difficult to determine due to the lack of tangible trajectory markers and the roller-coaster nature of the trajectory itself. These circumstances were the impetus for a review of the current literature and a clinical experience in a cardiac clinic within a major teaching hospital in Vancouver. The objective was to determine if clear palliative trajectory markers for heart failure existed and, if so, could they be used to produce a tool to assist health care professionals to accurately determine a timeline of six months or less.