Study: Quick 5-Question Intervention Can Diagnose COPD

​Asking patients five simple questions may help providers more efficiently diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suggests a study published online October 26, 2016, in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Twelve million people in the United States are diagnosed with COPD and an estimated 12 million more have the condition but have not been diagnosed, according to an October 25, 2016, press release about the study from the American Thoracic Society. The case-control study found that the intervention, in combination with peak expiratory flow (PEF) testing, was highly sensitive (89.7%) and specific (78.1%) for cases versus controls, including for mild COPD.