As we observe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness Month this November, the team at the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians is pleased to reaffirm its partnership with AstraZeneca Medical Affairs as a Partner in Health in raising awareness, improving early diagnosis, and enhancing management of COPD.
COPD remains a significant public health challenge, and primary care physicians play a critical role in identifying, treating, and supporting patients living with this condition.
- COPD is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide.
- Many patients remain undiagnosed or undertreated. Awareness campaigns help bring attention to early clues and the importance of timely intervention.
- Early and proactive management—rather than waiting for an acute exacerbation—is increasingly recognized as best practice.
- Screen Early and Think Broadly
While smoking remains the most familiar risk factor for COPD, environmental exposures, occupational irritants, and genetic predispositions also matter. Consider screening patients with chronic cough, dyspnea, or exposure history—especially those over 40 or with prior lung insult. - Act Sooner Rather than Later
Emerging evidence supports the idea that intervening earlier in the disease course may improve outcomes—from fewer exacerbations to better preservation of lung function. AstraZeneca is committed to advancing therapies and care models in COPD to reflect this earlier care mindset. - Manage Holistically, across Care Settings
Management isn’t just about inhalers—consider comorbidities (cardiovascular risk, for example), pulmonary rehabilitation, lifestyle factors (smoking cessation, exercise), and post-exacerbation follow-up. Patients discharged after a COPD exacerbation are at elevated risk of readmission or cardiopulmonary events—ensuring smooth transitions of care is vital. Review this infographic on cardiopulmonary risk in patients with COPD.
We’re pleased to highlight a selection of valuable resources that you and your colleagues can use immediately including:
- EasyPI: COPD – take your focus on COPD to the next level and implement a performance improvement activity to identify at-risk patients, ensure updated guidelines are being followed, or appropriate follow-up is occurring. This track is also sponsored by AstraZeneca.
- The COPD Foundation offers downloadable educational materials such as The Basics of COPD, My COPD Action Plan, and more.
- The American Lung Association’s Learning to Live with COPD campaign provides patient-education tools, webinars, and a Lung Health Navigator service.
- AstraZeneca’s disease- ducation portal, Act on COPD, offers peer-led resources for clinicians, video modules, flare-up checklists, hospital discharge protocols, and more.
- The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) provides the Learn More Breathe Better® toolkit that includes social-media posts, infographics, a COPD caregiver’s toolkit, and campaign-ready materials for raising awareness.
- Additional AstraZeneca materials include:
The OAFP’s Partners in Health Program is an online resource that contains links to organizations that provide patient education and high-value tools designed to support family physicians and their care teams in delivering optimal frontline care.
If you have questions about the OAFP’s Partners in Health Program, please contact Deputy Executive Vice President Kaitlin McGuffie or call 800.742.7327.