Philips-sponsored Study Supports Use of Home Noninvasive Ventilation for COPD Treatment

A recent study, co-sponsored by Royal Philips, showed that using home noninvasive ventilation in addition to home oxygen therapy (HOT) could effectively delay hospital readmissions and increase survival in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after a life-threatening respiratory event or exacerbation.

The study, “Effect of Home Noninvasive Ventilation with Oxygen Therapy vs Oxygen Therapy Alone on Hospital Readmission or Death after an Acute COPD Exacerbation: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” was published in the journal JAMA.

The five-year, multicenter study reports that the combination treatment resulted in prolonged median time to hospital readmission by nearly three months and also improved health-related quality of life in the first six weeks of treatment.

The randomized trial included 116 patients in the U.K. and was led by respiratory experts at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London.

“This study shows that home noninvasive ventilation is a potent, therapeutic tool that clinicians can use to help keep patients with advanced COPD out of the hospital. We hope that this will, in turn, allow them to lead healthier and more active lives at home,” Teofilo Lee-Chiong Jr., Philips’ chief medical liaison, said in a press release.

“These findings add considerably to our knowledge of this highly prevalent and debilitating respiratory disorder, and are expected to greatly influence how clinicians care for patients with COPD on long-term oxygen therapy,” Lee-Chiong added.

Nicholas Hart, professor and clinical director of Lane Fox Respiratory Service at St. Thomas’ Hospital and the study’s author, said patients with severe COPD “have historically had limited therapy options available to them and outcomes have generally been poor …”

“The trial suggests that combining home oxygen and home noninvasive ventilation therapy can reduce hospital readmissions while maintaining patients’ quality of life, which will drastically change the way we approach COPD treatment worldwide,” Hart said. “We are looking forward to hopefully decreasing the mortality and readmission rates that result from severe COPD with further research.”

A previous Philips-sponsored study showed that reduced COPD readmission rates led to significant cost savings for both patients and hospitals. The study was part of a multifaceted care program that included the use of Philips’ AVAPS-AE, a proprietary mode of noninvasive ventilation.

The study’s findings were published in the article, “Cost Savings from Reduced Hospitalizations with Use of Home Noninvasive Ventilation for COPD,” in the journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconics and Outcomes Research, Value Health.

Philips’ sponsorship of these studies is part of the company’s commitment to pioneer the development of noninvasive ventilation technologies to help COPD patients breathe easier.