COPD Investments

AOHT has made targeted investments to strengthen Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) care across the region. Through provider training, increased diagnostic capacity, and enhanced patient education, these efforts are improving early identification, coordinated management, and access to care.

A central focus of this work has been ensuring that residents, particularly those in rural communities have access to timely testing, diagnosis, and care close to home. By strengthening primary care capacity and enhancing local expertise, AOHT is building a more responsive and sustainable model of COPD care across Algoma.

Background

COPD is a leading cause of morbidity and hospital utilization in Algoma.

Early diagnosis through spirometry testing and access to appropriate

education and management significantly improves patient outcomes and

quality of life.

Historically, access to spirometry testing, interpretation, and certified respiratory

educators has been limited in many rural and remote areas of Algoma, requiring

patients to travel outside their communities to assessment and follow-up. AOHT

identified this gap as a priority opportunity to expand local capacity and improve

equity in access to care.

Key Objectives:

AOHT's COPD Strategy focuses on:

Expanding local diagnostic capacity through spirometry testing.
Increasing clinical expertise with primary care.
Strengthening patient education and self-management support.
Reducing delays in diagnosis.
Improving access to services in rural and underserved communities.

These efforts are designed to ensure that patients receive timely, evidence-based within their communities whenever possible.

Accomplishments

Significant progress has been made in building regional capacity for COPD care, since the start of this initiatives, AOHT has accomplished the following:

6

Registered Nurses trained to perform spirometry testing, expanding local diagnosis access.

3

Providers trained to interpret spirometry results, strengthening timely diagnosis within primary care.

4

Certified Respiratory Educators (CREs) supporting patient education and self-management.

3,500+

Spirometry tests preformed across the district.

1,500+

Patients diagnosed with COPD, enabling earlier intervention and coordinated management.