According to new research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, respiratory therapist-led care combined with use of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) via the Philips Respironics Trilogy 100 ventilator successfully reduced COPD readmissions during a 12-month period by 97%.

The study, funded and co-authored by Royal Philips, examined 397 patients who had all been hospitalized at least twice in a single year with an acute COPD exacerbation. Each patient was prescribed a Trilogy ventilator for home use. Continued in home care consisted of medication management, oxygen therapy, patient education and ongoing respiratory therapist care in the home.

Results showed that the proportion of COPD patients who were readmitted on two or more occasions decreased from 100% (397 of 397) in the year prior to initiation of intervention to 2.2% (9 of 397) in the following year.

“This study holds promise in how a multi-faceted intervention could assist health systems in significantly improving the care of the patients with advanced stage COPD in their home,” said study co-author Sairam Parthasarathy, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Sleep Disorders at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson. “The results indicate that patients placed on this advanced mode of noninvasive ventilation, combined with an in-home care program, can reduce hospitalizations and subsequently reduce healthcare utilization. This study is a good foundation to build from and to further validate.”