In 2023, EFA will work alongside with EFA Members and European Lung Health Group (ELHG) to evaluate impact on EFA’s 2013 COPD minimum standards of care and to foster continued progress with new benchmarks and policy recommendations.
COPD is one of the most common long-term respiratory conditions1 and the third leading cause of death worldwide2 yet more than half of COPD patients surveyed in our research believe that COPD does not get enough attention compared to other diseases.
Ten years after the publication of the EFA book on “Minimum Standards of Care for COPD Patients in Europe”, EFA aims to investigate if and how the minimum standards have been met and identify areas for future improvement. In essence, EFA seeks to raise the bar, from minimum standards of care to optimal.
EFA also seeks to recognise the unprecedented impact of the respiratory pandemic of COVID-19 which increased complications, affected access to care and introduced new digital solutions for COPD patients. The review comes on the heels of EFA’s DIG_IT report that provided a snapshot of the barriers and facilitators to the provision of care in the new digital era. The COPD community can provide further insights on the interaction between the digital healthcare transformation and the minimum standards of care previously outlined.
With the COPD Standards of Care project, EFA will:
1. Provide an assessment of the current standards of care for COPD against EFA’s 2013 minimum standards of care recommendations, thereby highlighting successes, gaps and best practices.
2. Foster better alignment between the burden of COPD and the attention and investment it receives in Europe.
3. Empower the COPD community with the evidence and recommendations necessary to pressure health authorities for improved prevention and care.