Illinois COPD State Plan

Illinois only the second state to address the

fourth leading cause of death

In 2007, Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC) formed the Illinois COPD Coalition - a Coalition of approximately 100 members throughout the State of Illinois. RHAMC convened this group to create a comprehensive COPD State Plan that outlines sustainable solutions for reducing the burden of COPD in Illinois.

Coalition members represent a broad group of COPD stakeholders including community-based agencies, public health departments, professional organizations, patients, caregivers, health care providers (physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and physical therapists), as well as pharmaceutical companies and home health care providers.

The overall purposes of the State Plan are to:

Identify goals and specific strategies to prevent COPD, increase public awareness of the disease, and improve the quality of life for people with COPD;
Serve as a priority setting document that guides the development of programs and policies related to COPD in Illinois; and
Articulate a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach for addressing COPD in Illinois and reducing its burden.

Specific objectives include:

Enhance the prevention of COPD, including promotion of smoking cessation activities that are integrated into health care, workplace, and government institutions, thereby addressing the root cause and reducing the future burden of the disease.
Educate primary health care providers to help increase diagnosis rates and provide patients with the GOLD standard of COPD care.
Increase COPD awareness among at-risk populations and others to improve lifestyle and health care decision-making.
Provide a statewide network of resources for those living with COPD that increases self-management skills among those living with COPD, thereby decreasing hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
Increase surveillance through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and other data collection tools to provide specific data on the state of COPD in Illinois and to evaluate the impact of health interventions.

The content of the State Plan is fluid, and may change over time in response to shifting and emerging needs. The Illinois COPD Coalition will continue to function as an advisory body and will meet in subsequent years to assess, revise, and implement components of the Illinois COPD State Plan.