COPD National Action Plan:
Community Action Tool
Discover the progress the COPD community has made toward implementing the goals and objectives in the COPD National Action Plan.

Rural Monitor Articles on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Other Chronic Respiratory Conditions

Overview

Organization: Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub)
Start Date: 08/2017
End Date: Ongoing
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
  • Expand opportunities to increase COPD awareness across the public-private spectrum
  • Improve access to care for people with COPD, particularly for those in hard-to reach areas
Collaboration: We worked alone
Activity Type: Material or product

Activity Description

Bringing Change for Rural COPD Patients: Possibilities with the COPD National Action Plan highlights the growing difference in rural and urban chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality rates and mounting treatment costs associated with the disease. The article provides an overview of the COPD National Action Plan and describes ongoing efforts from rural academic and public health researchers, rural clinicians and healthcare organizations, and other stakeholders working to address COPD and bring awareness to the impacts the disease has in rural communities.

Pulmonary Health in Rural America: Cause and Impact of Work-Related Lung Diseases discusses work-related lung diseases, including COPD, associated with rural agriculture, manufacturing, construction, mining, and healthcare. The article also discusses prevention strategies related to education, early recognition, and respirator use, and features a personal protective equipment (PPE) program at a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in rural Wisconsin.

Understanding the Many Roles of COPD Foundation State Captains: Q&A with John Linnell features an interview discussing COPD and how COPD Foundation state captains can be partners in addressing the disease.

Diagnosing the Rural COPD Patient: Ask About Symptoms, Use Spirometry discusses symptoms associated with COPD and using spirometry as the diagnostic test for the disease. The article also provides information and resources for COPD patient care.

Office-Based Spirometry: Key to Diagnosing Rural COPD Patients provides an overview of spirometry and its use to diagnose COPD. The article includes discussion on the equipment, staffing, and testing for rural offices and providers interested in making spirometry available. A pulmonary rehabilitation program at a Federal Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in West Virginia is also featured.

Still Stealing Rural America’s Breath: An Update on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease highlights rural research focused on COPD and discusses the importance of pulmonary rehabilitation. The article also discusses the impact COVID-19 has had on COPD and rural policy issues surrounding the disease.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Benefiting Rural Individuals, Benefiting Rural Population Health covers the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation as a treatment for COPD. The article includes discussion on the use of telehealth to provide pulmonary rehabilitation to patients living in rural areas and features rural pulmonary rehabilitation programs in Nebraska and Michigan.

These articles align with Goal 1 - Objectives 1 and 3 of the COPD National Action Plan by sharing information and resources to increase public awareness and expand opportunities for awareness to recognize and reduce the burden of COPD. They also relate to Goal 2 - Objective 5 to improve access to care for people with COPD, particularly for those in hard-to reach areas.

Audience

General Audience: At-risk populations, General public, Health professionals, Employers, Researchers, Policymakers/advocates
Focused Audience: n/a
Program Reach: National
Type of Area: Rural
Setting: Online

Cost and Funding Sources

The Rural Health Information Hub is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to be a national clearinghouse on rural health issues. The articles were written using ongoing RHIhub staff time.

Impact Analysis

As of July 1, 2021:

• Bringing Change for Rural COPD Patients: Possibilities with the COPD National Action Plan – 3,178 pageviews since August 9, 2017
• Pulmonary Health in Rural America: Cause and Impact of Work-Related Lung Diseases – 1,305 pageviews since October 4, 2017
• Understanding the Many Roles of COPD Foundation State Captains: Q&A with John Linnell - 378 pageviews since January 23, 2019
• Diagnosing the Rural COPD Patient: Ask About Symptoms, Use Spirometry – 6,713 pageviews since November 20, 2019
• Office-Based Spirometry: Key to Diagnosing Rural COPD Patients – 5,842 pageviews since November 20, 2019
• Still Stealing Rural America’s Breath: An Update on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - 587 pageviews since June 16, 2021
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Benefiting Rural Individuals, Benefiting Rural Population Health - 170 pageviews since June 30, 2021

Advice or Lessons Learned

n/a

Contact Information

Kay Miller Temple, MD
Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub)
Web Writer
Grand Forks
North Dakota