Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29178934›Full record

ArticleBMC research notes2017

Effectiveness of case management in the prevention of COPD re-admissions: a pilot study.

Annelies E van Eeden, Ingrid van de Poll, Gertrud van Vulpen, Tim Roldaan, Wies Wagenaar, Melinde R S Boland, Ron Wolterbeek, Niels H Chavannes

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC research notes, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Shared Experiences in Post-Rehabilitation COPD Care Management: A Qualitative Study From Patient and Care Manager Perspectives.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
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  4. Article
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  6. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Annelies E van EedenDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, Netherlands.
Ingrid van de PollMedical Coordinating Centre Flevoland, Lelystad, Netherlands.
Gertrud van VulpenMedical Coordinating Centre Flevoland, Lelystad, Netherlands.
Tim RoldaanMC Group, Lelystad, Netherlands.
Wies WagenaarMedical Coordinating Centre Flevoland, Lelystad, Netherlands.
Melinde R S BolandInstitute for Medical Technology Assessment, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Ron WolterbeekDepartment of Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands.
Niels H ChavannesDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, Netherlands. N.H.Chavannes@lumc.nl.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations are associated with high disease burden and costs, especially in the case of hospitalizations. The overall number of hospital admissions due to exacerbations of COPD has increased. It is remarkable that re-admissions account for a substantial part of these hospitalizations. This pilot study investigates the use of case management to reduce re-admissions due to COPD.

methodsCOPD patients with more than one hospitalization per year due to an exacerbation were included. The participants (n = 10) were closely monitored and intensively coached for 20 weeks after hospitalization. The case manager provided care in a person-focused manner. The case manager informed and supported the patient, took action when relapse threatened, coordinated and connected primary and secondary care. Data of 12 months before and after start of the intervention were compared. Primary outcome was the difference in number of hospitalizations. Secondary outcomes were health-related quality of life (measured by the Clinical COPD Questionnaire, CCQ) and dyspnoea (measured by the MRC Dyspnoea Scale).

resultsThe incidence rate of hospitalizations was found to be 2.25 times higher (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-3.9; P = 0.004) 12 months before compared with 12 months after the start of case management. COPD patients had a mean CCQ score of 3.3 (95% CI 2.8-3.8) before and 2.4 (95% CI 1.9-2.8) after 20 weeks of case management; a difference of 1.0 (95% CI 0.4-1.6; P = 0.001). The mean MRC scores showed no significant differences before (4.3; 95% CI 3.7-4.9) and after the case management period (3.9; 95% CI 3.2-4.6); a difference of 0.4 (95% CI - 0.1 to 0.9; P = 0.114).

conclusionsThis pilot study shows that the number of COPD hospital re-admissions decreased significantly after the introduction of a case manager. Moreover, there was an improvement in patient-reported health-related quality of life.

Indexed as

Case ManagementOutcome and Process Assessment, Health CarePatient ReadmissionQuality of LifeAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsPulmonary Disease, Chronic ObstructiveSecondary PreventionCase managementChronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseHospitalizationQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID29178934
PMCPMC5702099

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.