DRIVE4COPD, a public health initiative sponsored by pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, is aiming to put the brakes on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
COPD is a progressive lung disease that makes it harder and harder to breathe because less air is able to flow in and out of the lungs. COPD is also known as chronic bronchitis or emphysema.
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. and is also a cause of long-term disability. More than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD and it’s estimated that another 12 million may have COPD but not realize it.
Approximately 70% of people living with COPD are working and the economic burden for employers is great.
With higher health care utilization, absenteeism and reduced productivity, employees with COPD can cost companies up to four times more than average employees, says Lori Reiger, communications manager with Health Net, the first regional managed care organization to join the DRIVE4COPD campaign.
The disease is most common among smokers and former smokers. Onset of the disease can be slow and because of its gradual onset, “many people don’t find out they have COPD until they’re hospitalized or need emergency care of some sort,” says Reiger. “By that time, their lungs may have already been critically damaged.”
Common symptoms of COPD include chronic coughing, with or without mucus, or shortness of breath. Many people associate these symptoms with the normal course of aging and so don’t think to ask their physicians about COPD.
People at risk include anyone aged 35 or older who have smoked as few as 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. "In 2010, health care costs to the nation [from COPD] were estimated at $40 billion," notes Reiger.
There are things employers can do to mitigate the impact of COPD on their health care costs. "DRIVE4COPD can help companies recognize the important role they can play in reducing the number of undiagnosed and untreated COPD patients in the United States," says Reiger.
DRIVE4COPD encourages employers to have employees 35 and older take its COPD Population Screener, a simple five-question survey, to determine if their employees are at risk for COPD.
Employees can take the screener and print and share the results with their doctor. Reiger recommends employers encourage employees to take the screener on an annual basis.
DRIVE4COPD has an online toolkit for employers at
"There’s such a high number of people who are not diagnosed and are not aware that some of the symptoms they’re experiencing could be COPD," says Reiger. "So we just really want to encourage people to pay attention to their bodies and take this quick screener."
COPD Population Screener1. During the past four weeks, how much of the time did you feel short of breath?
· None of the time
· A little of the time
· Some of the time
· Most of the time
2. Do you ever cough up any “stuff,” such as mucus or phlegm?
· No, never
· Only with occasional colds or chest infections
· Yes, a few days a month
· Yes, most days a week
3. Please select the answer that best describes you in the past 12 months. I do less than I used to because of my breathing problems.
· Strongly disagree
· Disagree
· Unsure
· Agree
4. Have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes in your entire life?
· No
· Yes
· Don’t know
5. How old are you?
· Age 35 to 49
· Age 50 to 59
· Age 60 to 69
· Age 70+
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