Introducing the new COPD pocket consultant guide app: Can a digital approach improve care? A statement of the COPD foundation

The COPD Foundation has tried to address gaps in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) care by providing COPD Pocket Consultant Guide cards to U.S. health care providers. Since launching the card in 2007, there have been numerous updates and more than 800,000 of these cards have been distributed at no charge to health care professionals. The most recent versions have concentrated on presenting an algorithm for COPD management based on 7 severity domains: spirometry, symptoms, exacerbations, oxygen requirements, the presence of chronic bronchitis or emphysema and comorbidities. To increase the usability and reach of this tool, the COPD Pocket Consultant Guide is now available as an app for iOS and Android. This updated version of the app includes new COPD and asthma/COPD overlap flow charts; an interactive therapy chart that takes into account modified Medical Research Council (mMRC), COPD Assessment Test (CAT), and spirometry scores; anxiety and depression screeners; up-to-date medication charts in both brand and generic formats; a checklist to aid in determining when a patient should be referred to a pulmonologist and more. Potential use of the COPD Pocket Consultant Guide app in clinical care is discussed.