Indicators - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Clinical Care Standard

Indicators have been developed to support monitoring of the care recommended in the Standard. Clinicians and healthcare services can use the indicators to support local quality improvement activity.

Indicator specifications

Measurement is a key component of quality improvement processes. The Commission has developed a set of indicators to support clinicians and healthcare services to monitor how well they are implementing the care recommended in this clinical care standard. The indicators are intended to support local quality improvement activities. No benchmarks are set for these indicators by the Commission.

The definitions required to collect and calculate indicator data for this clinical care standard are specified online at https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793471

METEOR is an Australian web-based repository of nationally endorsed data and indicator definitions, hosted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

Indicators for local monitoring

Each indicator is described below and links to individual specifications are provided. Indicators are intended to be used in conjunction with the quality statements in the standard and are numbered accordingly.

1 - Diagnosis with spirometry

Indicator 1a

Proportion of patients with a recorded diagnosis of COPD whose healthcare record documented their spirometry results.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793508

Indicator 1b

Proportion of admitted patients with a COPD exacerbation whose healthcare record documented their spirometry results.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793513

2 - Comprehensive assessment

Indicator 2a

Proportion of patients with COPD whose history of exacerbations was assessed and documented in their healthcare record in the previous 12 months.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793516

Indicator 2b

Proportion of patients with COPD whose symptom severity was assessed using a validated tool in the previous 12 months.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793519

3 - Education and self-management

4 - Vaccination and tobacco-smoking cessation

Indicator 4a

Proportion of patients with COPD who were immunised against influenza in the previous 15 months.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793525

Indicator 4b

Proportion of patients with COPD who were immunised with at least one dose of pneumococcal vaccination.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793527

Indicator 4c

Proportion of patients with COPD whose smoking status was recorded in their healthcare record in the previous 12 months.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793529

Indicator 4d

Proportion of patients with COPD who reported they currently smoke tobacco who were offered cessation advice.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/794069

Indicator 4e

Proportion of patients with COPD who reported they currently smoke tobacco who were provided, or referred to, evidence-based behaviour supporting and counselling.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793531

Indicator 4f

Proportion of patients with COPD who reported they currently smoke tobacco who were prescribed pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793536

5 - Pulmonary rehabilitation

Indicator 5a

Proportion of patients with COPD who were referred to a pulmonary rehabilitation program.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793538

Indicator 5b

Proportion of patients discharged from hospital after a COPD exacerbation who started a pulmonary rehabilitation program within four weeks of discharge.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793542

6 - Pharmacological management of stable COPD

Indicator 6a

Proportion of patients with COPD prescribed an inhaled medicine whose inhaler technique was assessed at least once in the previous 12 months.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793550

Indicator 6b

Proportion of patients with COPD prescribed an inhaled corticosteroid who were previously prescribed dual long-acting bronchodilators.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793546

7 - Pharmacological management of COPD exacerbations

Indicator 7a

Proportion of antibiotic prescriptions for a COPD exacerbation that met the criteria for prescribing in the current Therapeutic Guidelines or evidence-based, locally endorsed guidelines.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793552

Indicator 7b

Proportion of antibiotic prescriptions for a COPD exacerbation where the prescription was for oral amoxicillin or doxycycline.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793555

Indicator 7c

Proportion of patients with a COPD exacerbation who were prescribed a corticosteroid where the prescription was for an oral corticosteroid for five days or less.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793557

8 - Oxygen and ventilatory support for COPD exacerbations

Indicator 8a

Proportion of patients with a COPD exacerbation who received controlled oxygen therapy where the target oxygen saturation levels of 88% to 92% were documented in the patient's healthcare record.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793577

Indicator 8b

Proportion of patients who presented to the emergency department with a COPD exacerbation who received a blood gas analysis to assess for hypercapnic respiratory failure with acidosis.

METEOR link: http://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793583

Indicator 8c

Proportion of patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure with acidosis due to a COPD exacerbation who received non-invasive ventilation (NIV) or the reason for not using NIV was documented in their healthcare record.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793585

9 - Follow-up care after hospitalisation

Indicator 9a

Proportion of patients with a COPD exacerbation whose discharge summary was sent to their nominated primary care provider on discharge from hospital.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793625

Indicator 9b

Proportion of patients with a COPD exacerbation who were seen for a follow-up assessment within seven days of discharge from hospital.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793628

10 - Symptom support and palliative care

Indicator 10a

Proportion of admitted patients with a COPD exacerbation whose healthcare record contained a copy of their advanced care plan.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793630

Indicator 10b

Proportion of patients who have been admitted to hospital for a COPD exacerbation whose healthcare record included documentation regarding advance care planning.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793632

Indicator 10c

Proportion of admitted patients with a COPD exacerbation whose healthcare record documented the patient's goals of care and their resuscitation plan for the episode of care.

METEOR link: https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/793634

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