This page contains resources for GPs and fellow healthcare professionals to support their care of patients with respiratory disease.
Tools
Managing multi-morbidity in practice
This RCGP Clinical Innovation and Research Centre publication aims to find out how general practice has risen to the challenge of organising chronic care of patients with multi-morbidity, using Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) and its co-morbidities as an exemplar.
COPD Resources for patients
The British Lung Foundation has published a new booklet, endorsed by the RCGP, to help guide and support people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). An estimated three million people in the UK have COPD, yet only 900,000 have been diagnosed. Living with COPD is aimed at patients and their families, friends and carers and provides information and support to help people living with COPD manage their condition better. You can download these resources here:
Alternatively, to order printed copies of this free booklet, please contact the British Lung Foundation via this link www.blf.org.uk/publications
Audit
National COPD Audit
The National COPD audit will collect data which maps the patient journey and variations in patient care, with one of the areas of focus being primary care. The audit commenced in 2013 and is being led by the Royal College of Physicians, in partnership with the British Thoracic Society, the British Lung Foundation and the Primary Care Respiratory Society. The RCGP, led by the Clinical Innovation and Research Centre (CIRC) is a key stakeholder in this audit.
National review of asthma deaths
The National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) is collecting details of asthma deaths in hospital and in the community across the UK for a 12 month period, from 1 February 2012. The Royal College of Physicians is leading the NRAD which is commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), and run in collaboration with professional and patient organisations.
RCGP eLearning
Managing Acute Respiratory Tract Infections
This course enables you to improve the care you provide to patients presenting with acute ear pain, acute sore throats, sinusitis and acute cough. It explains why it is crucial to evaluate your everyday prescribing decisions and gives examples of methods you can use to do this, as an individual and with a practice, and encourages you to identify barriers to change. It also reviews the clinical knowledge, communication skills and tools needed to assess and treat patients most effectively.