ATS Statement on Home Care for Respiratory Disorders

In the just published "American Thoracic Society Statement on Home Care for Patients with Respiratory Disorders," an ad
hoc expert subcommittee pointed out that either reducing the frequency of or the length of hospitalization is the key to
lowering the total cost of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which affects 11.2 million U.S. adults and cost the
nation $37.2 billion during 2004.


Published in the second issue for June 2005 of the ATS peer-reviewed American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care
Medicine, the new statement points out that home care services can offer great potential for patients with respiratory
disorders, especially pediatric and geriatric patients, by providing services and equipment at the place of residence for
individuals and families who have needs resulting from acute illness, long-term health conditions, permanent disability, or
terminal illness.


In the United States, home care includes home health care that offers episodic, post-acute illness assistance on an
intermittent basis; hospice care that is palliative, end-of-life care for the terminally ill; chronic home care assistance
directed at private duty aid offered on an hourly basis; and, in the home, the provision of and assistance with medical
equipment such as oxygen supplies, respiratory equipment, nebulized medications, infusion therapy, and other in-home medical
supplies.


According to the report, the most common diagnosis of patients with respiratory disorders referred for home health care is
COPD. Slightly over 11 percent of the 7.6 million patients who received home health care in 1998 had respiratory system
disease as their primary diagnosis. COPD and pneumonia are, respectively, the fourth and fifth most frequent reasons for
hospital discharge to home care for Medicare patients.


The expert subcommittee pointed out that chest physicians and pulmonologists need to recognize that earlier hospital
discharge, or avoidance of hospital care altogether, are important premises upon which home health care referrals can be
made.


American Thoracic Society journal news tips for June 2005 (second issue)


For the complete text of these articles, please see the American Thoracic Society Online Web Site at atsjournals. For either contact information or to
request a complimentary journalist subscription to ATS journals online, or if you would like to add your name to the
twice-monthly journal news e-mail list, contact Cathy Carlomagno at (212) 315-6442, or by e-mail at
ccarlomagnothoracic


Contact: Cathy Carlomagno

ccarlomagnothoracic

212-315-6442

American Thoracic Society

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