Kansas City, Mo. Proper and timely re-evaluation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are prescribed continuous oxygen therapy could cut the annual amount spent on patients for such therapy by as much as $150 million a year, according to a study led by the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Yuji Oba, Ph.D.

Many COPD patients are sent home from hospitals with prescriptions for oxygen therapy. While recognizing that certain patients with serious lung conditions can achieve lifesaving benefits from long-term oxygen therapy, researchers at the university found that many patients remain on it much longer thannecessary after being discharged from hospitals.The researchers exami ned 57 COPD patients for whom such therapy had been prescribed. The study found that 19-or 35 percent-of 55 patients who returned to clinics for follow-up were evaluated correctly. Of those 19 patients, 11-or 58 percent-were taken off oxygen therapy.

Based on these findings, the study concludes that "a significant number of patients remained on COT without re-evaluation" and up to 60 percent of those patients could be removed from the therapy "if appropriately re-evaluated."

The report also says patients should be evaluated one to three months after the therapy begins, as recommended by the Third Oxygen Therapy Consensus Conference. In addition, because many doctors do not follow the evaluation guidelines established by the conference, the study suggests that patients should receive such re-evaluations from pulmonary specialists. The rate of appropriate re-evaluation among pulmonary physicians was 65 percent, as opposed to 17 percent among primary care doctors.

"Patients on continuous oxygen therapy have a very serious lung disease, and it is advisable that a pulmonary specialist follow them," Oba says.

In addition to altering the patient's quality of life, continuous oxygen therapy is a major expense for insurance companies, the report notes. Considering the average cost for one month of therapy ranges from $290 to $430, the report estimates that "re-evaluating patients in a timely fashion and discontinuing unnecessary oxygen concentrators" could save from $106 million to $153 million annually.

To obtain more information about this study, go to www.rcjournal.com on the Internet. -R.P.