[Concept of teamwork and inter- and intra-connection for better management of COPD patients]

The elderly population makes up a majority of the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and more than 90 % of these patients have mild or moderate severity of COPD. Furthermore, in general, most severe cases receiving occasional long-term oxygen therapy may show a gradual decline in the activity of daily living and/or a cognitive impairment during the clinical course. These conditions together with the fact that in most cases the medical facility is far from patient's home prevent them from regularly visiting chest physicians at a large community hospital; therefore, they are possibly managed by non-specialists at private clinics. Recently, there have been significant advances in COPD management, and evidences of its appropriate pharmaceutical treatment are now available. Thus, there is a need for translational research with the recent advances in COPD management. This manuscript describes the concept of teamwork and inter- and intra-connection for better management of COPD patients.