Implementing acute exacerbations of COPD care bundles: evidence, effectiveness and future directions

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) represent a major driver of disease progression, healthcare utilisation and mortality worldwide. Despite robust guideline recommendations, substantial variability persists in the real-world management of AECOPD, particularly during hospitalisation and the vulnerable post-discharge period. Care bundles, defined as a small set of evidence-based interventions delivered collectively and reliably, have emerged as a pragmatic strategy to bridge the evidence-practice gap. This narrative review synthesises contemporary evidence on the structure, implementation strategies and clinical impact of AECOPD care bundles across the continuum of care. We summarise core bundle components during the acute in-hospital phase and the transition-to-discharge phase, critically appraise their effects on readmission, length of stay and mortality, and explore the heterogeneity between efficacy under controlled conditions and effectiveness in real-world settings. Drawing on principles from implementation science, we analyse multilevel barriers at system, provider and patient levels, and highlight facilitators including multidisciplinary team models, digital health-enabled decision support and iterative quality-improvement cycles. We propose that AECOPD care bundles function not merely as collections of interventions, but as delivery frameworks that improve the reliability of evidence-based care across the admission-to-discharge pathway. Current evidence suggests potential benefit for selected short-term outcomes, particularly readmission-related measures, but overall effectiveness remains heterogeneous and highly dependent on implementation fidelity, service organisation and post-discharge support. Future progress will depend on clearer bundle specification, context-sensitive design, integration of digital tools and greater emphasis on patient-centred outcomes.