COPD in Rural Communities: A Learn More Breathe Better® Webinar
Overview
Organization: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Start Date: 10/2023
End Date: 10/2023
Primary Goal: Goal 1: Empower people with COPD, their families, and caregivers to recognize and reduce the burden of COPD.
Secondary Goal(s):
- Goal 2: Improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of COPD by improving the quality of care delivered across the health care continuum.
Objective(s):
- Increase public awareness of the risk factors and symptoms of COPD so that earlier diagnosis of symptomatic individuals becomes the norm
- Increase the effectiveness and variety of outreach communication campaigns and activities that utilize evidence-based approaches to raise awareness of COPD, particularly among those at high risk, and help people diagnosed with COPD manage the disease
- Improve access to care for people with COPD, particularly for those in hard-to reach areas
Collaboration: NHLBI worked in collaboration with presenters from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, the National Rural Health Resource Center, and Appalachian Pulmonary Health Project.
Activity Type: Event
Activity Description
On October 18, 2023, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) hosted an online event titled “COPD in Rural Communities: A Learn More Breathe Better® Webinar.” The webinar was designed to amplify a range of programs working to tackle COPD in rural communities. Presenters from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, the National Rural Health Resource Center, and the Appalachian Pulmonary Health Project described multiple approaches to address the same concern: poorer COPD outcomes in rural communities compared to more urban environments.Event speakers and topics included:
• Kristen Dillon, MD, FAAFP, Chief Medical Officer at HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, reviewed the rates of COPD in rural communities; highlighted COPD disparities faced by rural Americans; and shared a variety of information and resources from HRSA, including the Rural Health Information Hub.
• Sally T. Buck, MS, FACHE, CEO of the National Rural Health Resource Center, emphasized the importance of expanding access to care in rural communities. She described the Expanding Rural Access to Pulmonary Care (ERAPC) program and shared Center materials including rural COPD podcast series, the Rural Hospital Guide to Improving COPD, and a pulmonary rehabilitation awareness campaign.
• Hilary Payne, MPH, Director of the Appalachian Pulmonary Health Project, shared insights and updates on the program, which is supported by the Dorney-Koppel Foundation and Partners in Health Network, Inc. The project aims to prevent cases of COPD, expand access to spirometry and pulmonary rehabilitation in rural areas, and provide care management for those with COPD and other chronic lung diseases.
• Neyal Ammary-Risch, MPS, MCHES, described NHLBI’s Learn More Breathe Better® lung health education program, its Breathe Better Network, and its resources available for sharing during National COPD Awareness Month and beyond.
Audience
General Audience: Patients, Caregivers or family members, General Public, Health professionals, Researchers
Focused Audience: n/a
Program Reach: National
Type of Area: Rural
Setting: Online
Cost and Funding Sources
This activity was funded through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Impact Analysis
In processAdvice or Lessons Learned
Partners with programs to be potentially featured on a future webinar should email HealthEdu@nhlbi.nih.gov.Related Links
Contact Information
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Team Lead, Health Education and Research Dissemination
Bethesda
Maryland