The project leaders will work in partnership with the Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS) in Argentina; the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil; University College London (UCL) and the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG).
Starting in July 2024, the programme will assess the current quality of COPD primary care in Argentina, Brazil and Peru. The international research team will look at the governance and policy context, foundations, processes, quality and inequities in care, as well as the quality of healthcare records.
The investigators will then develop a set of COPD quality indicators and an identification and treatment pathway for COPD patients in primary care. They will test the feasibility of these in different settings, and model cost-effectiveness, plus potential impact on health inequalities.
Project co-lead, Professor Rachel Jordan from the University of Birmingham, commented: “COPD is a global killer and we’re working with partners across South America to improve healthcare outcomes for people with COPD. We aim to strengthen local capacity in partner countries and find the best ways to prevent, identify and treat COPD in the community.
“We will develop primary care research capacity in South America - specifically Argentina, Brazil and Peru - to improve earlier identification and management of COPD. Identifying people with the disease is half the battle. They can then receive treatment for one of the world’s most debilitating diseases.”
The three partner institutions (‘hubs’) in South America will work in equal partnership with and build capacity amongst colleagues from less-experienced institutions (‘spokes’). These spoke organisations are situated in contrasting geographical/economic areas and include some of the most disadvantaged populations.
“We will benefit from the University of Birmingham’s huge experience in COPD research, and will offer our own expertise in working with staff from local primary care settings on non-communicable disease research projects, ensuring locally relevant results and directly improving the lives of people with COPD,” said Dr Antonio Bernabe-Ortiz, project co-lead from UCSUR.
Through these capacity-building activities, the programme aims to develop a sustainable research infrastructure and research leaders, in order to deliver high quality COPD research in the future. This will include training individuals on a range of generic, clinical and research skills and methods.
Researchers will develop sustainable engagement with community members, clinical leaders and policy stakeholders, to ensure the study is rooted in local, national and regional needs with clear pathways to impact on health and healthcare. They will also engage with stakeholders at all levels to ensure the findings of the research are acted upon, and to explore opportunities for future studies.
Formed in June 2017, the Breathe Well Group has already established partnerships with teams in Brazil, China, Georgia and Republic of North Macedonia and the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG). Find out more about the results of the first Breathe Well research programme.
