Proposal for a European COPD network

Abstract

Over the past few years, pulmonary rehabilitation programs have become more usual in Europe. Even COPD patients on LTOT no longer feel home-bound or grounded. Nevertheless, they experience anxiety when leaving their usual medical environment.

The SEP would like to encourage COPD patients to travel by creating a European COPD network. The objectives of this network would be (1) to record all the pulmonary centers in Europe that are involved in pulmonary rehabilitation; (2) to know the availability of oxygen in the different European countries and pulmonary centers; (3) to record those of these centers that would agree to take under supervision COPD patients traveling in their respective area and to provide all technical and medical assistance; (4) to select the most suitable holiday resorts for COPD patients according to ambient temperature, altitude, hotel accommodation, pollution, and possibility for COPD patients to walk around and take excursions; (5) to include oxygen suppliers and medical equipment companies involved in the technical assistance of these COPD patients traveling with all their paraphernalia. Such a European network would enable COPD patients to travel securely, being sure to find medical and technical assistance in all of these “SEP-recommended” places (SEP Guide).