Integrated Care: What does this Mean for the COPD Patient?

Loreen Williams, Diahann Wilco

Abstract

Despite remarkable advances in medicine and technology, the management of the patient with COPD is often inefficient and fragmented. Optimizing care for these individuals requires that a proactive, patient-centered, de-fragmented and integrated plan of care. Integrated care, which draws heavily from the chronic care model, incorporating holistic, self-management and care coordination principles to meet the needs of the complex COPD patient, is a desirable approach to improving medical management. The relationship of integrated care to other, similar conceptual models, including self-management, disease management, care coordination, and patient centered medical home is discussed.