Management of COPD Among Australians of 40 Years and Older

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Table of Contents

Health Promotion
Health Promotion and Target Group Outline
Health Promotion Aims
Health Promotion Prevention Management Perspective
Stakeholders and Community Consultation
Health Logo
Health Promotion Activity Description
Health Promotion Evaluation Proposal
Conclusion
References

Health Promotion

When individuals decide to smoke the first cigarette, they should be aware of such a serious outcome as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD. It is a chronic inflammatory disease that is characterised by obstructed airflow in the lungs. At this moment, there is no specific cure for COPD, leaving this disease one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among adults (Çolak et al., 2019). More than 380 million people are diagnosed with COPD, and around half of a million lives in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020; Iheanacho et al., 2020). The point is that many people are aware of how dangerous smoking in terms of causing severe pulmonary diseases. However, they think that COPD may be predicted or avoided as smokers could also live long lives. Therefore, many recommendations and prevention plans are neglected by today’s youth. This public health promotion project aims to support adults under age 40 and help them detect COPD signs as early as possible. The offered intervention will have a clearly defined perspective, logo, and activities to show how adults should deal with COPD.

Health Promotion and Target Group Outline

In many countries, professional facilities want to predict the development of COPD at its early stages by educating people and sharing the threats of smoking as the main trigger. According to Blackstock et al. (2016), non-adherence in smoking cessation or starting in pulmonary rehabilitation leads to a number of adverse outcomes and complications. Therefore, instead of trying to work with young adults who could have COPD because of active or passive smoking, the target population of people identified 40 and older is chosen. In Australia, about 7.5% of adults older than 40 years have COPD (Cousins et al., 2020). At their 75s or over, more than 30% of people are diagnosed with COPD (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). The gender prevalence does not differ considerably among the citizens aged 45, but COPD is more prevalent in older (aged 55-64) women (6.2%) compared with men (3.6%) (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020). Comparing Indigenous and non- Indigenous Australian communities, the former group is at higher risk for the development of health problems. Thus, COPD is a significant public health issue for all citizens.

People who have already been diagnosed with COPD need help, and the possibility of treatment depends on the severity of the condition and the period of its development. It is expected to show Indigenous Australians how to detect COPD at its early stages and get the necessary education when the problem has already occurred. The chosen community does not have enough access to modern healthcare equipment and services and remain poorly educated about smoking threats. Australians Together (2020) reports that non-Indigenous citizens experience health inequalities, including shorter life expectancy and lower levels of education. Poor health is a result of inappropriate attitudes toward lifestyles and habits that are promoted in society. There is hope that people under 45 are able to understand the situation and accept professional assistance; thus, health promotion could gain the required meaning and recognition in the community.

The offered health promotion is beneficial for adults under 40 in various ways, depending on its aims to reduce COPD-related complications and support patients. There are several meaningful points in the outline of why this promotion plan has to be implemented among non-Indigenous Australians. First, specific physical improvements will be observed, as the community will get access to free primary care and a quick evaluation of their lungs’ conditions in tents with spirometers. A spirometer can also be helpful for postoperative patients to take deep breaths properly and improve their functions. Secondly, there will be a nurse in every tent with booklets to educate patients and explain how to control their COPD progress. Health education is not always inherent among non-Indigenous Australians, which leads to poor rates. This health promotion education plan includes communication, discussion of the main contributing factors, and emotional support that many hospitals omit because of overloading.

Health Promotion Aims

The main goal of the health promotion plan is to prevent the development of complications in COPD patients and reduce death rates by 20% by detecting the disease at its early stage and educating people outside by 2022. Liang et al. (2017) develop radical interdisciplinary models to manage COPD symptoms and complications because they significantly affect people’s ability to participate in their daily activities. In addition, COPD is the fourth leading cause of death (4%), and about 1052 per 100,000 population are hospitalised annually (as cited in Liang et al., 2017). Support groups, smoking cessation, and education have already been implemented in hospitals (Newsome et al., 2018). Portable tents were proved to be more effective for outside healthcare services (COVID-19 screening) compared to containers due to better ventilation and space capacity (Peros et al., 2020). Not all people have time or opportunity to visit a hospital when they feel bad or start coughing. Therefore, an easy-to-reach box with equipment and professional staff is a solution that Australians need at the moment.

The chosen goal is SMART, meaning it has specific tasks (predict complications), measures (reduce death rates), and clear time limitations (by 2022). Regarding the fact that similar steps have already been taken in other countries and for managing several diseases, it is correct to say that all purposes are realistic and achievable. There is no need to invite too many people as healthcare providers because one tent (or box) should have at least one nurse and proper equipment. If some technical problems occur, one specialist may reach the place and solve a problem (repair or change a spirometer or deliver new educative material).

Health Promotion Prevention Management Perspective

There are several health promotion levels of prevention in public health, depending on the condition of patients, goals of care providers, and strategies with the help of which the best solution can be found. In this health promotion plan, the goal is to prevent the progress of complications and minimise risks of COPD among adults who are under age 40 and who live in Australia. The target group is individuals who define themselves at risk or could probably have the early stage of the condition. Therefore, in addition to free screening (spirometry), risk assessment, and education, it is important to support people and offer early interventions at this prevention level. Taking into consideration the already defined characteristics and tasks, it is possible to say that it is a secondary type of prevention (Fleming & Parker, 2015). However, if patients address too late, the same strategies can be applied at the tertiary level. In this intervention, no specific treatment is offered, but supportive strategies and information for patients with recommendations to address a local health facility.

Stakeholders and Community Consultation

Any health promotion program involves several groups of people with their tasks and obligations. The first stakeholder group consists of those who are directly involved in this health promotion idea (i.e., nurses, analytics, and managers). Regarding the nature of the program and the intention to implement it among non-Indigenous Australians, it is necessary to invite a limited number of people (not to spend extra resources and analyse the chosen direction). Therefore, each tent to be placed within the community requires one nurse and one technician. The second group of stakeholders is those who are affected by the intervention, meaning men and women from non-Ingenious communities under age 40. Finally, the stakeholders who contribute to funding the program have to be invited. They can be chiefs of local hospitals, independent researchers, and employers of large organisations. The success of the plan is also predetermined by the possibility to involve funding agencies and coalition members who are able to promote similar ideas within society and invite more people to participate in managing COPD in Australia. Still, key individuals who may influence the progress of this program are nurses who share their knowledge.

Health Logo

Not many people are ready to accept their diagnoses and continue living their lives the way they did before. However, the idea of this intervention is to give people hope that COPD is not the end of life, and some steps must be taken to predict complications and reduce death ratings. Therefore, the message that has to be delivered to non-Indigenous Australians under 40 is that “COPD is manageable, and people should know the basics.” This logo is not simple because not many citizens are aware of COPD and its complications. Still, the message is suitable for the target group, who has already faced COPD and wants to know what to do next.

Health Promotion Activity Description

To recognise COPD symptoms and predict the development of severe consequences of this condition, people should have constant access to care and supportive services. Therefore, this promotion is not a single activity but a service that remains available for a long period of time. First, it is important to publish the news about opening free tents for people under 40 in a local newspaper. Readers must get enough information about the location of such tents and what to expect from these services. The second step is to place these tents in several parts of the city so people can easily reach them when they want. The third step is to create clear guidelines about how to use a service and what needs to be done further. Nurses are informed about how to greet a client, explain the purpose of this service (not to scare but to encourage), and educate them in a quick and understandable way. Finally, every visitor is provided with an illustrative pamphlet about how to diagnose COPD, what hospitals offer the best treatment, and how to improve self-care.

In general, there are four main points to be considered while promoting help to people who are at risk of COPD: public awareness, resources, nurses’ responsibilities, and patients’ opportunities. The success of the plan depends on how well the creators of the program cooperate with funding stakeholders and nurses to offer regular screening that is free and reachable for all non-Indigenous Australians within the chosen area.

Health Promotion Evaluation Proposal

As soon as new services are offered to the population, their developers must evaluate the achieved results and clarify the value. In this case, three areas have to be examined within several periods: six months, one year, and two years. The process measures cover the participation of the population and the attitudes of nurses towards their work. Within the already identified timeframes, the number of clients is calculated and rated as per the current local statistics. Then, a survey is offered to nurses to learn how they complete their tasks, if their activities are time-consuming, and what relationships are developed with clients. The outcome measure includes the necessity to identify if the planned reduction of death rates is observed. To complete this task, it is necessary to analyse the statistics before the promotion program and in two years. With time, it is possible to integrate another measurement if the costs on COPD treatment are reduced and how it is related to the costs spent on the program. Then, organisational changes may be promoted to either reduce or enlarge the number of tents and nurses who cooperate directly with the population.

Conclusion

The implementation of new ideas to promote health and help people deal with their symptoms is always beneficial for the population. However, like any program, it requires additional financial and human resources and appropriate organisation. In this paper, the reduction of COPD-related symptoms among people identified 40 and older is promoted. Being identified as a secondary-level intervention, such steps as screening, progression prevention, and risk reduction are reasonable. Still, it is impossible to achieve positive results in a short period, and it is recommended to open tents and offer screening and education for two years. At the end of 2022, process and outcome measures examine if these ideas are effective for the target group, as well as for executors.

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2020). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).AIHW. Web.

Australians Together. (2020).Indigenous disadvantage in Australia: The disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Web.

Blackstock, F. C., ZuWallack, R., Nici, L., & Lareau, S. C. (2016). Why don’t our patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease listen to us? The enigma of nonadherence. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 13(3), 317-323. Web.

Çolak, Y., Afzal, S., Nordestgaard, B. G., Vestbo, J., & Lange, P. (2019). Prevalence, characteristics, and prognosis of early COPD: The Copenhagen general population study. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 201(6), 671-680. Web.

Cousins, J. L., Wood-Baker, R., Wark, P. A., Yang, I. A., Gibson, P. G., Hutchinson, A., Sajkov, D., Hiles, S. A., Samuel, S., & McDonald, V. M. (2020). Management of acute COPD exacerbations in Australia: do we follow the guidelines? ERJ Open Research, 6(2). Web.

Fleming, M. L., & Parker, E. (2015). Introduction to public health (3^rd ed.). Elsevier.

Iheanacho, I., Zhang, S., King, D., Rizzo, M., & Ismaila, A. S. (2020). Economic burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): A systematic literature review. International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 15, 439-460. Web.

Liang,J., Abramson, M. J., Zwar, N., Russell, G., Holland, A. E., Bonevski, B., Mahal, A., van Hecke, B., Phillips,K., Eustace, P., Paul, E., Petrie, K., Wilson, S.,& George, J. (2017). Interdisciplinary model of care (RADICALS) for early detection and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Australian primary care: Study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 7(9). Web.

Newsome, B., McDonnell, K., Hucks, J., & Dawson Estrada, R. (2018). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Clinical implications for patients with lung dancer. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 22(2), 184–192. Web.

Peros, G., Gronki, F., Molitor, N., Streit, M., Sugimoto, K., Karrer, U., Lunger, F., Adamina, M., Breitenstein, S., & Lamdark, T. (2020). Organising a COVID-19 triage unit: A Swiss perspective. Emerging Microbes & Infections. Web.

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