Lung Foundation Australia Acting CEO Christa Bayer said the funding would support development of new education packages and programs in chronic airways disease (CAD) for health professionals, and for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

“We’re so pleased to now get to work on these programs, which encompass a $2.7 million health professional education grant in consortium with Asthma Australia and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand; and a $1.03 million consumer health literacy grant,” Ms Bayer said. 

“Having access to evidence-based education, care tools and information is key when it comes to improving health and wellbeing outcomes for patients.” 

The health professional education grant will deliver a Quality use of Medicines (QUM) in Chronic Airways Disease (CAD) program for health care professionals that aims to improve the appropriate use of diagnostics and referral pathways in CAD (including both asthma and COPD), initiation of personalised pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments and patient-centred multi-disciplinary care.  

Education packages will reflect known priority QUM-related issues for people with CAD, promote patient empowerment as key to optimal management and offer education and behaviour change activities to help health professionals deliver evidence-based care at critical points in the patient journey. 

The Consumer Health Literacy grant will fund the rollout of theMy Care My Health – Living better with COPD program; designed to address long standing barriers for people living with COPD in achieving positive health outcomes by:  

• Improving health literacy for patients, allowing them to identify any gaps in care and work more effectively as partners with their health professionals, 

• providing tailored, accessible, and multi-faceted interventions via a stepped care model which offers support matched to need,  

• connecting people to existing community-based support. 

Ms Bayer said while there is currently no cure for COPD, an early diagnosis, combined with early management programs, can improve quality of life and slow progression of the disease. This program is a great step forward in addressing the ongoing improvements we need to see for people living with COPD as outlined in our blueprint report Transforming the Agenda for COPD.  

“COPD is a condition that touches many lives, we know one in seven Australians over the age of 40 is living with COPD, so it is imperative people feel supported by communities, health care teams and loved ones to access the help they need.”