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GPs concerned about patient responsibility in respiratory illness

A third of GPs and respiratory nurses are concerned about the level of responsibility patients are willing to take for managing asthma and COPD, according to a consensus report.

Just under 200 healthcare professionals, also including respiratory consultants and pharmacists, were asked whether they agreed with the statement that ‘asthma and COPD patients do not want to take control of their health’, with 34% stating that they agreed.

But half (50%) of the respondents also agreed that these patients ‘do not know how to access appropriate treatment and support’ and over two-thirds (70%) said a better model would be for ‘all of the multidisciplinary respiratory team’ to be ‘available in one building at one time’.

Over half (57%) also agreed that healthcare professionals were ‘too busy to effectively educate their patients’.

‘With early mortality being a more likely outcome for asthma and COPD patients who do not engage with their condition and their healthcare professional team, these consensus results show an opportunity for further development of empowerment programmes for these conditions,’ the report commissioned by pharmaceutical manufacturer Teva said.


          

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