As GPs, we see firsthand the toll that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) takes on our patients.
It is a serious, progressive condition and remains one of the leading causes of death in Australia.
Early recognition and accurate diagnosis are vital in slowing disease progression, improving quality of life and reducing hospitalisations.
Yet we know that diagnosing COPD can be challenging in general practice.
Clinical features and chest X-rays alone are not enough; accurate diagnosis requires high-quality spirometry.
Despite this, access to and utilisation of spirometry can vary significantly, with implications for the quality of care patients receive.
To support GPs in this area, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) has introduced Practice Reflections: COPD.
This is a new quality improvement initiative designed specifically for GPs.
Each GP will receive a personalised, confidential report that uses their own MBS data to provide insights into how often office spirometry is being used compared to peers.
Importantly, this is not an audit or assessment.
The data is provided only to the recipient GP to support self-directed professional reflection.
Each GP will know how best to interpret the data, taking into account whether spirometry is performed at the practice, outsourced, or perhaps done while a patient is in hospital.
By comparing our own data with that of our peers, we can identify opportunities to align more closely with best practice COPD management guidelines, consider the barriers in our own context and reflect on what improvements might be achievable.
The first COPD Clinical Care Standard offers further guidance on what essential care for COPD should look like.
When used alongside the Practice Reflections report, it provides a valuable prompt for GPs to confirm diagnosis with spirometry, review patients managed without prior testing and ensure our care reflects the current evidence.
As clinicians, we all want the best outcomes for our patients.
This Practice Reflections report is an opportunity to pause, review and reflect on our role in diagnosing and managing COPD, and ultimately to support better patient care.
All qualifying GPs will automatically receive a printed Practice Reflections: COPD in November this year – learn more on the ACSQHC website.
Associate Professor Liz Marles is a GP and clinical director of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
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