Introduction: A remarkable difference in care delivery pathways for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the presence of hospital- at-home for COPD exacerbations in England and its absence in the Netherlands. The objective of this paper is to explain this difference. Methods: Descriptive COPD statistics and care delivery pathways on all care levels within the institutional context, followed by a comparison of care delivery pathways and an explanation of the difference with regard to hospital-at-home. Results: The Netherlands and England show broad similarities in their care delivery pathways for COPD patients. A major difference is the presence of hospital-at-home for COPD exacerbations in England and its absence in the Netherlands. Three possible explanations for this difference are presented: differences in the urgency for alternatives (higher urgency for alternative treatment models in England), the differences in funding (funding in England facilitated the development of hospital-at-home) and the differences in the substitution of tasks to nurses (substitution to nurses has taken place to a larger extent in England). Discussion and Conclusion: The difference between the Netherlands and England regarding hospital-at-home for COPD exacerbations can be explained in three ways. Hospital-at-home has proved to be a safe alternative for hospital care for selected patients, and should be considered as a treatment option for COPD exacerbations in the Netherlands.

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hdl.handle.net/1765/91265
International Journal of Integrated Care
Institute for Medical Technology Assessment (iMTA)

Utens, C., Maarse, J. A. M., Schayck, O., Maesen, B. L. P., Rutten-van Mölken, M., & Smeenk, F. (2012). Care delivery pathways for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in England and the Netherlands: A comparative study. International Journal of Integrated Care, 12(APRIL - JUNE 2012). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/91265