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Discharge Practices After Hospitalization for COPD Exacerbations: A Physician Survey and SWOT Analysis
Sanja Dimic-Janjic1,2, Mihailo Stjepanovic1,2, Ivan Cekerevac3,4
1Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade,11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Physician practices for discharging patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations show gaps. Barriers like lack of templates and time hinder structured summaries, despite willingness to improve COPD care.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Healthcare Management
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Hospital discharge after acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a critical care transition.
- This transition is linked to a high risk of early hospital readmission.
- Understanding current discharge practices is vital for improving patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe physician-reported discharge practices for COPD exacerbations.
- To identify perceived gaps and organizational barriers in COPD discharge.
- To explore physician attitudes toward structured COPD discharge summaries and analyze findings using SWOT.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational survey was conducted with 100 physicians involved in COPD care.
- The survey assessed discharge procedures, multidisciplinary practices, patient education, comorbidity management, and readmission causes.
- Data analysis included descriptive statistics and a structured SWOT analysis.
Main Results:
- Only 24% of physicians routinely used structured discharge summaries; 45% never used them.
- Key contributors to 30-day readmissions included active smoking, poor adherence, comorbidities, and incorrect inhaler technique.
- Barriers to structured summaries were lack of templates, time constraints, poor coordination, and technical issues.
Conclusions:
- Significant gaps exist between recommended and routine COPD discharge practices.
- Organizational and system-level barriers impede the implementation of structured discharge summaries.
- Findings can inform the development of improved structured discharge tools for COPD care.
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