REPORT

Patients in focus: COPD treatment and perceptions

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) impacts millions of patients worldwide, affecting their everyday lives and ability to work.

With nearly half of patients (45%) reporting that COPD symptoms affect their daily life at least 24 days out of the month, it’s unsurprising that there is a strong interest in trying new therapies. However, patients largely rely on healthcare providers to make treatment decisions, and many of them are unhappy with the quantity and quality of exchanges they have with their doctor about their condition.

Using Phreesia PatientInsights survey results collected between September and October 2021 from 1,194 patients diagnosed with or treated for COPD as they checked in for their doctors’ appointments, this report will explore the issues patients want to discuss about COPD with their provider and how to equip them with the resources they need to do so.

Report highlights include:

  • Two-thirds of patients (66%) said that COPD still has a substantial impact on their everyday life, while almost half (47%) said they suffer moderate-to-great impairment of their emotional well-being
  • Nearly 1 in 3 patients (31%) said that the disease has affected their ability to work, forcing them to take time off or to take frequent breaks at work
  • Only about 4 in 10 (44%) patients said they have detailed conversations with their doctor about their COPD symptoms, and about one-third (34%) feel they don’t fully understand their condition
  • 84% of patients who decided to start taking a COPD maintenance medication did so because their doctor recommended it

Download the report