Prevention of progression of patients with COPD

Management of COPD related co-morbidities (diabetes and heart failure) and keeping patients in their communities

Improve COPD for patients within Alberta’s vulnerable populations and design innovations to address these health challenges

Michael K. Stickland, PhD

Dr. Michael Stickland, Professor in the Pulmonary Division, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta, Director of the G. F. MacDonald Centre for Lung Health, Scientific Director for the Alberta Health Services Respiratory Strategic Clinical Network

• Breathe Easy Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Scale, Spread and Sustain – Pulmonary rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary ambulatory intervention that includes assessment, exercise training, self-management education, and psychosocial support. The project will provide pulmonary rehabilitation program resources to patients/families and health care professionals in order to improve shortness of breath, exercise tolerance and quality of life in patients with COPD, with the potential of reducing the consequent increase in acute care demand for this population.

Heather Sharpe

RN, PhD, CRE, CTE, Assistant Scientific Director of the Respiratory Health Strategic Clinical Network (RHSCN), Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Medicine

• Identifying Early COPD Using Health Administrative Data – The project will use health administrative date to find out if we can identify trends in health care use by individuals newly diagnosed with COPD, in order to find new ways to identify patients at the early stages of their disease, since COPD often goes undiagnosed, so that preventative treatment can be initiated. This has the potential to improve quality of life and delay the need for prolonged hospitalizations and frequent emergency department visits.