International Journal of COPD (Aug 2021)
CONQUEST Quality Standards: For the Collaboration on Quality Improvement Initiative for Achieving Excellence in Standards of COPD Care
Abstract
Rachel Pullen, 1, 2 Marc Miravitlles, 3 Anita Sharma, 4 Dave Singh, 5 Fernando Martinez, 6 John R Hurst, 7 Luis Alves, 8, 9 Mark Dransfield, 10 Rongchang Chen, 11 Shigeo Muro, 12 Tonya Winders, 13 Christopher Blango, 14 Hana Muellerova, 15 Frank Trudo, 16 Paul Dorinsky, 17 Marianna Alacqua, 15, 18 Tamsin Morris, 19 Victoria Carter, 1, 2 Amy Couper, 1, 2 Rupert Jones, 20 Konstantinos Kostikas, 1, 21 Ruth Murray, 1 David B Price 1, 2, 22 1Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; 2Optimum Patient Care, Cambridge, UK; 3Pneumology Dept, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Barcelona, Spain; 4Platinum Medical Centre, Chermside, QLD, Australia; 5Division of Infection, Immunity & Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; 6New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; 7UCL Respiratory, University College London, London, UK; 8EPI Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 9Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Porto, Portugal; 10Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Lung Health Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; 11Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Institute of Respiratory Disease, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (Second Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, First Affiliated Hospital of South University of Science and Technology of China), Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China; 12Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan; 13USA & Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform, Vienna, Austria; 14Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 15AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK; 16AstraZeneca, Wilmington, DE, USA; 17AstraZeneca, Durham, NC, USA; 18CSL Behring SpA, Milan, Italy; 19AstraZeneca, Luton, UK; 20Research and Knowledge Exchange, Plymouth Marjon University, Plymouth, UK; 21Respiratory Medicine Department, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece; 22Centre of Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UKCorrespondence: David B PriceCentre of Academic Primary Care, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UKTel +65 3105 1489Email [email protected]: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are managed predominantly in primary care. However, key opportunities to optimize treatment are often not realized due to unrecognized disease and delayed implementation of appropriate interventions for both diagnosed and undiagnosed individuals. The COllaboratioN on QUality improvement initiative for achieving Excellence in STandards of COPD care (CONQUEST) is the first-of-its-kind, collaborative, interventional COPD registry. It comprises an integrated quality improvement program focusing on patients (diagnosed and undiagnosed) at a modifiable and higher risk of COPD exacerbations. The first step in CONQUEST was the development of quality standards (QS). The QS will be imbedded in routine primary and secondary care, and are designed to drive patient-centered, targeted, risk-based assessment and management optimization. Our aim is to provide an overview of the CONQUEST QS, including how they were developed, as well as the rationale for, and evidence to support, their inclusion in healthcare systems.Methods: The QS were developed (between November 2019 and December 2020) by the CONQUEST Global Steering Committee, including 11 internationally recognized experts with a specialty and research focus in COPD. The process included an extensive literature review, generation of QS draft wording, three iterative rounds of review, and consensus.Results: Four QS were developed: 1) identification of COPD target population, 2) assessment of disease and quantification of future risk, 3) non-pharmacological and pharmacological intervention, and 4) appropriate follow-up. Each QS is followed by a rationale statement and a summary of current guidelines and research evidence relating to the standard and its components.Conclusion: The CONQUEST QS represent an important step in our aim to improve care for patients with COPD in primary and secondary care. They will help to transform the patient journey, by encouraging early intervention to identify, assess, optimally manage and followup COPD patients with modifiable high risk of future exacerbations.Keywords: identification, assessment, intervention, follow-up