Inaccuracy of Self-Completed COPD Assessment Test by Older Patients Leads to Underestimation of Disease Severity

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a life-threatening condition, represents a considerable public health and socioeconomic challenge.1 Symptoms of this long-lasting respiratory disease can significantly impair patients' daily physical activities, reduce quality of life, and lead to excessive health care overuse.1,2 Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale is a basic tool for determining symptoms of dyspnea in COPD patients.3 However, because COPD subjects suffer from complex symptomatology, COPD Assessment Test (CAT), a validated patient-completed questionnaire, is now globally recommended as the first choice assessment tool to classify COPD individuals according to the GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, Inc) Strategy in daily practice.
Source: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Research Letter Source Type: research