Results from a Community-Wide Pilot Program to Standardize COPD Education for Patients Across Healthcare Settings in Rhode Island.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with significant morbidity, decreased quality of life, and burdensome hospital admissions. Therefore, patients with COPD interact with clinicians in a number of healthcare settings. A coalition of healthcare practitioners in Rhode Island, in partnership with the local Quality Improvement Organization, designed and implemented a standardized, COPD education program for use across multiple healthcare settings. More than 60 organizations participated, producing 140 Master Trainers, who trained 634 staff members at their facilities from October 2015 through June 2016. Master Trainers were satisfied with the training, and we observed significant increases in knowledge scores post-training among all participants, which remained significant when stratified by setting. These results demonstrate that implementation of a community-based program to disseminate patient-centered, standardized COPD education in multiple healthcare settings is feasible. We hope this program will ultimately improve patient outcomes and serve as the foundation for expanding standardized education for other chronic conditions. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-07.asp].