Respirology : official journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Patterns of care for COPD by Japanese physicians.
COPD treatment guidelines are available worldwide, yet it is not known how widely they are followed. This study evaluated the clinical care of COPD patients in Japan as compared to guideline recommendations. ⋯ Care for COPD patients by selected Japanese physicians diverges from published practice guidelines. COPD is an infrequently used diagnostic label; diagnostic evaluation is characterized by a high use of computed tomography scans, particularly by specialists; and bronchodilator use was low.