Sorry folks- I couldn't fit what I wanted to on the "resplinks" page so I started this one instead.

Firstly, HERE are the basic slides from my talk.

I have also put the sheet of home exercises HERE if you would like to download it and use it for your patients.

The patient information leaflet written by Reehana Shafeek regarding self-management of COPD exacerbations is HERE.

You can also see a potential CARE PATHWAY suggesting a potential future model for managing COPD exacerbations in the community which Rosie Benham and I have sketched though clearly that may be some way off and would need much wider discussion and agreement.

The MRC dyspnoea scale is a useful tool for establishing level of dyspnoea as a baseline though it is not sensitive enough to measure change.

For measuring change in COPD in response to treatment (such as a new inhaler,) it is usual to measure this subjectively by questionnaire rather than by measuring objective reversibility with spirometry. This is because most patients show little measurable reversibility and their response is better measured in terms of day to day symptoms and performance. The CCQ is a very simple, practical tool for doing this. Follow the link HERE to see this- don't worry if the page comes up in Dutch! Just select English from the drop-down menu.

To find out more about MET Office health forecasting follow this link.