Helen Ashdown has published a commentary in the European Respiratory Journal about a randomised controlled trial in Australia which found that an interdisciplinary model of care for COPD in primary care involving smoking cessation support, home medicines review, and home-based pulmonary rehabilitation did not demonstrate superiority over usual care. However, low uptake by GPs and patients was a challenge, and this demonstrates a need to overcome the barriers to implementation of high value, non-pharmacological therapies in real world clinical practice settings, and incorporate implementation as a key component of clinical trial design.

Mis-diagnosis of asthma is common and guideline authors disagree on the best diagnostic approach. Clinical prediction models may be valuable in identifying the best approach for asthma diagnosis. We conducted a systematic review to find out if there are any validated clinical prediction models to support healthcare professionals to diagnose asthma in primary care? Luke Daines also wrote a blog which provides interpretation.

Self-Management Support (SMS) is increasingly seen as relevant to supporting people to manage their Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) but no one intervention is wholly successful in COPD. Adding a social network approach may deliver positive outcomes. The concept of supportive self-management draws on the capacity of improved social networks to pull on a broader set of resources, to elicit peer support and to have meaningful connections through community-based resources. A social network tool GENIE (Generating Engagement in Networks) was adapted for use in COPD and implemented in a community care context.

New Approach- Social networking and peer support as a SMS intervention. Genie has been adopted by Southampton city CCG and can be viewed and used via the links below.
https://genie-net.org/
https://southampton.genie-net.org/eng/

The tool is designed to open conversations using a concentric circle model - regarding social networks. Then to elicit support either through existing networks, or by formation of new networks, and develop a reciprocal approach.

The Bringing Breathlessness into View multimedia exhibition highlights the difficulties that breathlessness cause people living with it and also shows ways that people can cope with and get support for this difficult symptom. It is a mobile exhibition which will be taken around Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire to raise awareness of breathlessness. There is a downloadable guide to living well with breathlessness-feel free to share it with your patients. To find out more read the following blogs: BLF-Your Stories and BJGP Life.