Chances are high that you know someone with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). More than 16 million Americans have been diagnosed with this debilitating lung disease and it is estimated that millions more have it and don’t know.
This November for National COPD Awareness Month, join AstraZeneca in raising awareness about COPD. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, physician, other healthcare professional , advocate, or researcher, share your perspective. We all have a voice when it comes to COPD and we should use it to help people understand and recognize it earlier, so they can receive treatment to breathe easier.
Signs and symptoms of COPD such as shortness of breath, chronic coughing, and wheezing often come on slowly, which can delay diagnosis. Often, people mistake their breathing issues as a part of aging or a consequence of being out of shape. While there currently is no cure for COPD, early diagnosis and treatment can greatly improve quality of life. National COPD Awareness Month is a great time to encourage others to recognize symptoms and talk to a health care provider.
For more information about COPD, visit the National Institutes of Health Learn More Breathe Better webpage.
Help make an impact this November by starting a performance improvement (PI) project focused on COPD! Visit the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians EasyPI: COPD to find all of the information you need to complete a self-guided PI project focused on COPD in practice that will earn you American Board of Family Medicine PI and continuing medical education credits.
AstraZeneca is a proud Partner in Health of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians. Partners in Health is an online resource that contains links to organizations that provide patient education and high-value tools to support family physicians and their care teams deliver optimal front line care.