Spanish clinical practice consensus in internal medicine on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with comorbidities (miEPOC)

Abstract

[Background] Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the diseases that leads to a higher number of hospitalizations in internal medicine departments. These patients are usually older and have greater multimorbidity than COPD patients hospitalized in other departments, which hinders the implementation of clinical guidelines necessarily focused on the management of a single disease.

[Aims] To ascertain the opinion of Spanish internists on the management of COPD in scenarios in which the available evidence is sparse and to produce a consensus document designed to assist in decision-making in COPD patients with comorbidities treated in internal medicine services.

[Methods] After identifying the clinical areas of greatest uncertainty by consensus, a survey was designed with 89 questions on the epidemiology and diagnosis of COPD, its management both in stable phase and during decompensation, and the treatment of the associated comorbidities in outpatients and inpatients. The consensus process was carried out using the Delphi method in an anonymized two-round process.

[Results] The survey was completed by 67 internists experienced in the clinical management of COPD. Of all the questions posed, a consensus was reached for 51 (57.3%) in the first round and for 67 (75.3%) in the second round. The result of the process is a series of 67 suggestions that may assist in the care of these patients.

[Conclusions] Our study allows us to ascertain the views of a large number of internists experienced in the management of COPD and to learn how the recommendations for guidelines are applied in clinical practice.