Respiratory care
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Editorial Randomized Controlled Trial
A Respiratory Therapist Disease Management Program for Patients Hospitalized With COPD.
Patients with COPD often require repeated emergency department visits and hospitalizations for COPD exacerbations. Such readmissions increase health-care costs and expose COPD patients to the added risks of nosocomial infections and increased mortality. ⋯ Our RT disease management program was associated with less readmission, fewer ICU days, and shorter hospital stays due to COPD exacerbations. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal utilization of RT disease management teams for patients with COPD to optimize outcomes and prevent return hospital visits. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT01543217.).