Assessment of the COPD risktest in the general practice.

Rationale:

In the general practice there is COPD underdiagnosis. Early detection of COPD can delay the pathological process of the disease. We know the COPD Respiratory Screening Health Questionnaire as validated risktest to find COPD patients at risk. The Dutch Association of General Practitioners is going to develop a program for GP’s to launch the pilot of the “COPD Prevention Consultation Program”, where the COPD risktest is used. This research protocol includes an assessment of this program.



Objective:

How will the “COPD prevention consultation program” influence the workload in a general practice? Which barriers will be met?



Study design:

An observational survey among health care workers using mixed methods.
(quantitative questionnaires and in-depth interviews).



Study population:

All health care workers who are involved in the “COPD Prevention Consultation Program” in the general practice surgery.



Intervention:

Not applicable.



Main study parameters/endpoints:

The expirienced workload for health care workers. Barriers and beneficial factors.

There is underdiagnosis of COPD. To solve this problem, we want to check healthy persons after a questionnaire on high risk of COPD.

Preparation of the study: January,February, March 2012.

Data collection: April,May and June 2012.

Working out and writing and making conclusions in a report: July and August 2012.

The intervention in this survey is to implement early detection of COPD as a structural inbedded method in daily general practice work. The COPD risktest as a health questionnaire will be used and send to all patients of one age cohort year (between 40 and 70 years) in a month. After response workload and time aspects will be assessed. There will be used questionnaires for health workers: the Barrier and Facilitator Assessment Instrument; in-depth interviews; time capacity checklist; practice characteristics.