(Appleton, WI) — A pro-active management program for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton, has been recognized as the 2016 recipient of the Innovator Award from the Wisconsin Society for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Health & Rehabilitation (WISCPHR).
The Innovator Award acknowledges a program that has enhanced its delivery of care for a patient population, in a unique and creative way, beyond the traditional model of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
Created as a joint effort with Network Health, the evidence based "Breathe at Ease" program is designed to help patients improve and better manage chronic lung conditions.
"We are grateful for this recognition from WISCPHR," said St. Elizabeth Respiratory Therapist Robyn West. "This innovative effort is something we are very proud of to provide better quality of care with reduced costs to our patients."
West received the award on behalf of the program at the WISCPHR Annual Conference in Madison on April 23.
Breathe at Ease is provided as a covered service to Network Health Commercial and Medicare Advantage members who have a diagnosis of COPD, Emphysema, or Chronic Bronchitis.
Originally launched in May of 2014, participants in the first year of Breathe at Ease reduced their hospital stays by 75-percent and emergency department visits by 25-percent while indicating a high level of satisfaction with the program which is designed to supplement the patient’s relationship with a primary care clinician.
Today, more than 200 participants are enrolled in the 12 month program that includes an option to be renewed after one year if deemed beneficial to the participant.
West says that self-management is critical to the success of the program. Breathe at Ease respiratory therapists provide education by creating an individualized action plan for COPD management for each participant.
Those action plans are making a difference as more than 85-percent of participants indicated they were adherent with their maintenance inhalers after joining the program with a similar amount adherent with rescue inhalers.
"The action plan makes people more aware of symptoms and how to self-manage in a timely manner," said West. "That is improving their quality of life and reducing costs which helps us achieve the goals of the program."