The LUNGS program

THE BRIEF

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious lung condition that affects thousands of Australians, yet is frequently under diagnosed and under treated. ZEST was asked to develop an educational campaign for nurses to increase COPD screening.

WHAT WE DELIVERED

The LUNGS program was a multi-faceted program, designed to have maximum reach across the country. Core elements included:

• A nationwide train-the-trainer program for Practice Nurses that focused on spirometry
• Gathering and analysis of data related to the implementation of the program
• Presentations, expert speakers, and a conference stand at the Australian Practice Nurses Association (APNA) annual conference
• Publication in the APNA magazine

OUTCOMES

A total of 417 surgeries participated in the program, with 10,067 patients screened. Of those, 53% were referred back to their GP for further investigation. Presentation of the data from the screening program was well received at the APNA conference and 96% of participating nurses said they were planning on continuing with regular COPD screening.