The Impact of a Health Forecasting Service on the Visits and Costs in Outpatient and Emergency Departments for COPD Patients - Shanghai Municipality, China, October 2019-April 2020.

Xiaofang Ye,Juzhong Ke,Li Luo,Ji Zhou,Xiaonan Wang,Tao Lin,Sixu Yang,Xiaodan Chen,Xin Zhou,Zhitao Li,Xiaonan Ruan,Dandan Yang,Li P ,Xiaolin Liu ,Kang Wu

doi:10.46234/ccdcw2021.127

Abstract

What is already known on this topic?The morbidity and mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with adverse weather and air pollution. However, COPD patients are not able to be alerted in advance of high risk environments.What is added by this report?This prospective controlled trial conducted in Pudong New Area of Shanghai from October 2019 to April 2020 provided evidence of COPD risk forecasting service on the reductions in visits and costs of COPD patients in outpatient and emergency departments in China for the first time.What are the implications for public health practice?This study suggests that COPD risk forecasting service could be integrated into existing COPD management in public health to improve the health and economic outcomes.

Highlights

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) morbidity and mortality is associated with adverse weather and air pollution [4,5,6,7]
It is difficult for both COPD patients and medical staff to be alerted in advance of high-risk periods with existing tools
The Shanghai Meteorological Service (SMS) has developed a health forecasting service for COPD patients based on the weather and air quality forecasts

Summary

China CDC Weekly

The Impact of a Health Forecasting Service on the Visits and Costs in Outpatient and Emergency Departments for COPD Patients — Shanghai Municipality, China, October 2019–April 2020. This prospective controlled trial conducted in Pudong New Area of Shanghai from October 2019 to April 2020 provided evidence of COPD risk forecasting service on the reductions in visits and costs of COPD patients in outpatient and emergency departments in China for the first time. COPD morbidity and mortality is associated with adverse weather and air pollution [4,5,6,7] It is difficult for both COPD patients and medical staff to be alerted in advance of high-risk periods with existing tools. A prospective controlled trial was conducted in Pudong New Area of Shanghai from October 2019 to April 2020 to examine whether such a forecasting service being available to COPD patients and their general practitioners (GPs) could reduce visits and costs in outpatient and emergency departments (OPED) for COPD. Patients selected to receive the COPD risk forecasting service were asked to provide contact details

Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Before PSM

Findings

Groups N

DISCUSSION