Association between health-related quality of life and consultation for respiratory symptoms: results from the DIMCA programme
Abstract
In general practice, diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is hampered by underpresentation. A substantial proportion of subjects experiencing respiratory complaints do not consult their general practitioner (GP). In this study, the relationship between disease-specific quality of life and presentation of respiratory symptoms to a GP is investigated. A random sample from the general population (undiagnosed subjects) was screened for symptoms and objective signs of COPD (n=1,155). The lung function of subjects with symptoms of COPD was monitored for 6 months. During this period, 48 new COPD patients with a persistently reduced lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) less than or equal to the predicted value minus 2 SD) were detected. A disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire (chronic respiratory questionnaire (CRQ)) was administered and clinical and GP consultation data were collected. Multivariate analysis showed that quality-of-life impairments due to dyspnoea and fatigue and variability in lung function (bronchial hyperresponsiveness, reversibility and peak expiratory flow rate variability) were related to medical consultation. Only 31% of the newly detected patients reported th...Continue Reading
Citations
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