Course Description:

Readmission to the hospital for patients with COPD is a national concern. It is a problem for hospitals because it comes with a penalty from CMS if the readmission occurs within 30 days of discharge. Patients with COPD require monitoring beyond the acute care setting, and the current evidence supports continued monitoring of these patients beyond the acute care setting and the acute exacerbation. However, transition from the acute care setting to the home (or outpatient setting) is not always smooth, and communication is often lacking. This course will discuss the problem of readmission and transition of care, as well as the patient with COPD who is treated in the acute care setting and moves to the home setting. The identification of COPD patients at high risk for readmission will be discussed, along with the medications the patients may be sent home with and best practice for care in the home and outside the hospital.