Lung Health Awareness Month: advice for medical practitioners

As many of you reading this would know, lung health is crucial to our wellbeing, but is often overlooked by many Australians.

We are well conditioned when it comes to thinking about our heart, brain and skin health, but we need to remember that our lungs are equally as important.

One in seven deaths in Australia occurs as a consequence of lung disease, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a disease that doesn’t discriminate, whatever your age or gender, whether you are a smoker, former-smoker or have never touched a cigarette in your life.

We all need to be aware of the causes, signs and what we can do to reduce our risk.

Throughout November, Australians have been participating in numerous events to mark Lung Health Awareness Month.

During the month, Lung Foundation Australia aims to promote the importance of lung health amongst the wider community, patients and healthcare professionals. The ultimate goal is to ensure lung health is seen as a priority by all Australians.

In Australia, the majority of patients with COPD are managed by GPs. However, GPs see many different acute and chronic diseases throughout their busy week, and the proliferation of various disease guidelines can seem daunting.

Consequently, Lung Foundation Australia has developed its Concise Guide for Primary Care, to help busy GPs, nurses and the general practice team in the management of patients with COPD. It contains clear, practical, evidence-based recommendations and practice tips.

The guide includes advice on:

– Case finding and confirming diagnosis,

– Optimising lung function,

– Preventing deterioration,

– Developing a plan of care, and

– Managing exacerbations in patient symptoms.

mi-Support recommends viewing the guide in full, which can be accessed here.

To see how mi-Support services can assist you as a medical practitioner, visit here.