COPD patients could spend less time in the hospital if their doctors utilize a checklist of steps called order sets, according to findings published in the Canadian Respiratory Journal.

Researchers from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada examined the effects of order sets on hospital stay time in worsening COPD patients. When the order sets were used, patients’ length of stay was reduced by about 2.5 days, the researchers found.

Additionally, the research team determined that order sets increased the rate of patients who were prescribed corticosteroids for their COPD. The patients were not admitted to the intensive care unit because their lung inflammation was under control. The researchers added that more patients received the correct antibiotics, too.

“Using order sets to manage worsening COPD can lead to better medical care and better results for patients,” study leader Samir Gupta explained in a press release. “By providing doctors with the best, evidence based information at the point in time when they are deciding on medications and tests for their patients, we can improve doctors’ adherence to best practices.”