Prompt initiation of maintenance treatment following a COPD exacerbation: outcomes in a large insured population

In this observational study, U.S. researchers examined the relationship between initiation of approved maintenance therapy following COPD exacerbation and 1) insurance claims and medical costs as well as 2) patient health outcomes at one year. Retrospective analysis of insurance claims data allowed the team to compare outcomes between patients on maintenance therapy initiated within 30 days of hospital discharge and those for whom initiation was delayed (operationalized as 31 to 180 days post discharge). Analyses revealed: 1) insurance claims and medical costs were significantly lower for the 30-day group than their delayed maintenance cohort and 2) those in the delayed initiation group were 68% more likely to have a future exacerbation with hospitalization; they were also 80% more likely to have an exacerbation that took them to the emergency department.