Are patients on long‐term oxygen therapy followed up properly? Data from the Danish Oxygen Register

• Published in: Journal of internal medicine Vol. 250; no. 2; pp. 131 - 136
• Main Authors: Ringbaek, T. J., Lange, P., Viskum, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.08.2001; Blackwell Science; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; COPD; Denmark; Female; home care; Home Care Services - standards; Humans; Lung Diseases, Obstructive - blood; Lung Diseases, Obstructive - therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Oximetry; oxygen; Oxygen - blood; Oxygen - therapeutic use; Pneumology; Predictive Value of Tests; Quality of Health Care; Registries; respiratory failure; Respiratory Therapy - standards; Time Factors; Denmark; Human; Oxygenotherapy; Lung disease; Chronic; Treatment; Respiratory disease; Follow up study; Quality; Bronchus disease; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Long term
• ISSN: 0954-6820; 1365-2796
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00865.x

. Ringbaek TJ, Lange P, Viskum K (University Hospital of Copenhagen, Hvidovre Hospital; and Gentofte Hospital; Copenhagen, Denmark). Are patients on long‐term oxygen therapy followed up properly? Data from the Danish Oxygen Register. J Intern Med 2001; 250: 131–136. Objectives. The aim of the study was to assess the extent and quality of follow‐up of patients on LTOT. Setting. The Danish Oxygen Register. Subjects. A total of 890 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients who were on long‐term oxygen therapy (LTOT) during the period from 1 November 1994 to 31 August 1995. Main outcome measures. The extent and quality of follow‐up. Results. Only 38.5% of the patients were followed up in the study period, and only 17.5% had a ‘sufficient follow‐up’ defined as at least one follow‐up visit within 10 months which included measurement of arterial blood gases or pulsoximetry with oxygen supply, verification that the patient used oxygen ≥15 h day–1 and was nonsmoker. Female gender, LTOT initiated 3–12 months ago, LTOT started by a chest physician at pulmonary department and LTOT prescribed ≥15 h day–1 were found to be significant predictors of ‘sufficient follow‐up’ (odds ratio (OR): 1.7, 2.0, 3.7 and 1.9, respectively). Conclusions. The extent and the quality of follow‐up of patients on LTOT were poor, especially if a nonpulmonary physician initiated LTOT. We recommend that more attention should be paid on proper monitoring of LTOT, and that only chest physicians should be able to prescribe and re‐evaluate LTOT.