The National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COPD National Action Plan

In May 2017, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the COPD National Action Plan, a comprehensive framework for addressing the disease. A lack of progress to address COPD's burden on population health and the health system motivated the creation of the Action Plan. The COPD-related mortality rate has not declined at the same rate as other leading causes of death in the United States, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Ultimately, the Action Plan strives to increase COPD awareness and minimize its burden through collaboration among COPD patients, providers, researchers, and decision-makers.

Originally requested by Congress in 2012, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) developed the Action Plan through a variety of trans-governmental meetings. The broader COPD community informed the framework's goals, including other federal partners, patients and caregivers, academics, healthcare practitioners, and industry leaders. The Action Plan emphasizes the role of collaboration among a wide variety of stakeholders within the COPD community to achieve goals to increase awareness of the disease and minimize its burden.

The Action Plan is based on five overarching goals, including various subgoals that could improve the health of rural communities:

“Goal 1: Empower people with COPD, their families, and caregivers to recognize and reduce the burden of COPD.

Goal 2: Improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of COPD by improving the quality of care delivered across the healthcare continuum.

Goal 3: Collect, analyze, report, and disseminate COPD-related public health data that drive change and track progress.

Goal 4: Increase and sustain research to better understand the prevention, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and management of COPD.

Goal 5: Translate national policy, educational, and program recommendations into research and public health care actions.”

Resources to Learn More

The COPD National Action Plan and its Impact on Patients in Rural America
Document
An overview of the COPD National Action Plan and how it can be utilized to advocate for improved treatment opportunities, including cost of care and access to care, for rural communities.
Author(s): Bret Denning
Organization(s): COPD Foundation
Date: 4/2018