New tool supports diagnosis and care management of Asthma and COPD

A new tool to support the diagnosis and care management for people with Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is now available to primary care clinicians and respiratory clinical leads in London.

The Pan-London Respiratory Dashboard links up-to-date information in relation to the diagnosis and care management for people with Asthma and COPD from across the region, which can be visualised at a practice, Primary Care Network (PCNs) or Integrated Care System (ICS) level.

Despite some of the lowest air quality and highest levels of urbanisation in the country, London consistently remains below the national average for diagnosis of Asthma and COPD. Inaccurate diagnosis and poor care management practice can result in patients being given the wrong treatment and/or being placed on the wrong treatment pathway.

To date, primary care clinicians and respiratory leads have lacked access to easy-to-understand information to help them to improve in these areas.

The Pan-London Respiratory Dashboard brings together Quality Outcome Framework (QOF), Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), and ePACT2 prescribing data together for the first time, enabling healthcare professionals and commissioners to track, monitor and compare key metrics including:

  • Asthma and COPD reported prevalence
  • Asthma and COPD emergency admission rates
  • Prescribing rates of ICS/LABA/SABA inhalers and prednisolone tablets

The dashboard has been developed by Imperial College Health Partners and Telstra Health UK with support from North West London ICS and clinical colleagues from London Clinical Respiratory Group and local PCNs.

More information about the Pan-London Respiratory Dashboard, including access and ‘how-to’ videos, is available here.