Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Jan 25;11(1):95-100.
doi: 10.15326/jcopdf.2023.0397.

Improving Referral Patterns for Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Christopher Di Felice  1   2 , Zachary B Strumpf  1   3 , Elizabeth A Edmiston  1   2 , Christian F Cuvillier Padilla  1   4 , Leah C Ellis-Jones  1 , Joanne L McKell  1   2 , Mohammad A Shatat  1   2 , Sherrie D Williams  1   2 , Anna M May  1   2   3
Affiliations

Improving Referral Patterns for Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Christopher Di Felice et al. Chronic Obstr Pulm Dis. .

Abstract

Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) is a minimally invasive treatment option for patients with severe emphysema and hyperinflation refractory to optimal medical care. This therapy is effective in improving functional status and quality of life, underscoring the importance of identifying potential procedure candidates. To our knowledge, scalable strategies to improve the referral of advanced lung disease patients are lacking. This quality improvement project aimed to increase identification and referral for BLVR in a large Veterans Affairs academic medical center. We show implementing case identification within a pulmonary function testing report, in conjunction with provider education, increased referral rates for BLVR. Because of the ubiquity of lung function testing, other advanced lung disease programs may consider adopting this strategy to improve patients' access to timely clinical evaluation and therapy.

Keywords: bronchoscopic lung volume reduction; pulmonary function testing; quality of care.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

CD has a consulting agreement with Pulmonx. AMM has received payment from LivaNova, Inc., for participation on a data safety monitoring board. The remaining authors have no relevant conflicts of interest to disclose.

References

    1. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 2023 report. GOLD website. Published 2023. Accessed August 5, 2023. https://goldcopd.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GOLD-2023-ver-1.3-17Feb2...
    1. Boersma P,Cohen RA,Zelaya CE,Moy E. Multiple chronic conditions among veterans and nonveterans: United States, 2015-2018. Natl Health Stat Report. 2021;(153):1-8. doi: https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc:101659 - PubMed
    1. Casanova C,Cote C,de Torres JP,et al. Inspiratory-to-total lung capacity ratio predicts mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005;171(6):591-597. doi: https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200407-867OC - PubMed
    1. Fishman A,Martinez F,Naunheim K,et al. A randomized trial comparing lung-volume-reduction surgery with medical therapy for severe emphysema. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:2059-2073. doi: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa030287 - PubMed
    1. Criner GJ,Sue R,Wright S,et al. A multicenter randomized controlled trial of zephyr endobronchial valve treatment in heterogeneous emphysema (LIBERATE). Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018;198(9):1151-1164. doi: https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201803-0590OC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources