Home care by outreach nursing for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Home visits for people with chronic lung disease (COPD ‐ emphysema or chronic bronchitis) aim to help people maintain their health and need fewer hospital stays. The nurses aim to help people use their treatments well, provide education about coping strategies, and monitor the lung disease. However, the review found that trials have shown that this is an expensive form of care, that has not been shown to improve lung function. There may be some benefits for people with less severe disease, but more research is needed to demonstrate this.