LHCH leads the way in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Trial
The LHCH Research team are proud to have been recognised as the joint first patient recruiter and the lead recruiter across the UK in the OPACE trial. OPACE is a respiratory based trial which is focused on optimising azithromycin prevention treatment in COPD to reduce exacerbations.
There are currently 1.2 million people sadly living with COPD in the UK. People with COPD are disproportionately affected by health inequalities including frailty and multimorbidity. Furthermore, exacerbations are a leading cause of hospital admissions, morbidity, and mortality. Significant increases in hospital admissions and bed pressures are seen from this alone every winter in the UK.
Many people with severe COPD are prescribed long-term antibiotics such as azithromycin to try and reduce the chance of infection or hospitalisation. Long-term antibiotics can have side effects and lead to antibiotic resistance. The OPACE study is trying to find out whether stopping azithromycin, or using it intermittently is a safe and potentially better treatment option in people with COPD.
The LHCH Research team have provided this opportunity and improved access to this National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) study to our Knowsley Community Respiratory Service patients. This is particularly significant and important, for this barrier to be lifted, with Knowsley having the highest rates of COPD hospital admissions in the country.
Participants benefit from being seen by their healthcare team at local community sites rather than having to visit the hospital site. Trial medication is delivered to them via a convenient home courier service, trial follow ups are conducted by telephone and extra support is provided alongside standard of care to patients.
Picture - Claire Lee is the Senior Clinical Research Nurse working on OPACE.