TY - INPR Y1 - 2023/08/04/ SN - 0741-238X TI - Implementing an Evidence-Based COPD Hospital Discharge Protocol: A Narrative Review and Expert Recommendations PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC N1 - © The Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ KW - Care bundles KW - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease KW - Discharge protocol KW - Exacerbation KW - Hospital readmission KW - Implementation strategies ID - discovery10174797 AV - public N2 - Discharge bundles, comprising evidence-based practices to be implemented prior to discharge, aim to optimise patient outcomes. They have been recommended to address high readmission rates in patients who have been hospitalised for an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Hospital readmission is associated with increased morbidity and healthcare resource utilisation, contributing substantially to the economic burden of COPD. Previous studies suggest that COPD discharge bundles may result in fewer hospital readmissions, lower risk of mortality and improvement of patient quality of life. However, evidence for their effectiveness is inconsistent, likely owing to variable content and implementation of these bundles. To ensure consistent provision of high-quality care for patients hospitalised with an exacerbation of COPD and reduce readmission rates following discharge, we propose a comprehensive discharge protocol, and provide evidence highlighting the importance of each element of the protocol. We then review care bundles used in COPD and other disease areas to understand how they affect patient outcomes, the barriers to implementing these bundles and what strategies have been used in other disease areas to overcome these barriers. We identified four evidence-based care bundle items for review prior to a patient?s discharge from hospital, including (1) smoking cessation and assessment of environmental exposures, (2) treatment optimisation, (3) pulmonary rehabilitation, and (4) continuity of care. Resource constraints, lack of staff engagement and knowledge, and complexity of the COPD population were some of the key barriers inhibiting effective bundle implementation. These barriers can be addressed by applying learnings on successful bundle implementation from other disease areas, such as healthcare practitioner education and audit and feedback. By utilising the relevant implementation strategies, discharge bundles can be more (cost-)effectively delivered to improve patient outcomes, reduce readmission rates and ensure continuity of care for patients who have been discharged from hospital following a COPD exacerbation. JF - Advances in Therapy A1 - Miravitlles, Marc A1 - Bhutani, Mohit A1 - Hurst, John R A1 - Franssen, Frits ME A1 - van Boven, Job FM A1 - Khoo, Ee Ming A1 - Zhang, Jing A1 - Brunton, Stephen A1 - Stolz, Daiana A1 - Winders, Tonya A1 - Asai, Kazuhisa A1 - Scullion, Jane E UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-023-02609-8 ER -