Active not recruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

Changing Outcomes Through Achievement Emails in COPD Using Routine Healthcare Audits

This study aims to improve how doctors prescribe inhalers for people with a long-term lung condition called COPD. National guidelines suggest the best inhalers, but some patients still receive older or less effective treatments. The study is testing if different types of emails sent to GP practices with performance reports can encourage better prescribing. One group of practices will get personalised emails highlighting their own progress and offering tips. The other group will get simple notification emails. All practices will receive the same reports over a year. The goal is to see if changing the email wording can make a real difference in how doctors prescribe, ultimately leading to better and safer care for COPD patients.

At a glance

Status

Active not recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

University of Leeds

Enrolment target

270

Start

01 Dec 2025

Estimated completion

04 Jan 2027

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

What is this study about?

This study is all about making sure people with a long-term lung condition called COPD get the very best care from their GP. COPD means your lungs don't work as well as they should, making it hard to breathe. There are national guidelines that suggest which inhalers are most effective for different people with COPD. However, sometimes, patients might still be given older types of inhalers that are no longer the top recommendation or might not be as effective for them.

The NHS in West Yorkshire already has a project to help GP practices improve their prescribing. They send out regular reports to doctors, showing them how they're doing compared to national guidelines and other practices. This study will work alongside that project. We're trying to find out if the type of email sent with these reports can make a bigger difference. Will a personalised email that highlights a practice's own performance and offers helpful suggestions encourage them to follow the guidelines more closely than just a simple email notification?

This research won't directly change any patient's treatment – everyone will continue to receive their usual care from their GP. Instead, it's about making a small change behind the scenes to see if it can help doctors make the best prescribing decisions. If we learn that personalised emails are more effective, it could lead to safer and better quality care for everyone with COPD in the long run. The information used for this study will come from existing NHS records and will be made anonymous so that no specific practices can be identified.

Key takeaways

This study helps GPs improve how they prescribe COPD inhalers.
It tests if personalised emails are better than simple notifications for GP practices.
No patients are directly involved; your treatment will not change.
The study uses anonymous data from GP practices.
The goal is to improve COPD care quality and safety in the long run.

Who may be eligible?

This study involves GP practices in West Yorkshire, not individual patients. If you are a patient, you cannot directly enrol in this study.

All NHS GP practices in West Yorkshire that are already part of a special project to improve COPD prescribing will be included. Practices that are not NHS practices, or those outside West Yorkshire, will not be part of the study.

Also, any prescribing that happens outside of a GP practice, like from a hospice or hospital, won't be included in this research. If a GP practice decides they don't want to be part of the wider NHS improvement project, they also won't be included in this study.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

I am a patient, not a GP practice.
My GP practice is based in West Yorkshire.
My GP practice is an NHS practice.
My treatment is prescribed by my GP, not a hospital or other service.

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

This study doesn't involve any patients directly. You won't have to visit any clinics, have extra assessments, or take any new medication because of this study. Your GP will continue to provide your usual care for COPD, and this study won't change your treatment plan at all.

Instead, this study is about what type of email communication GP practices receive. Practices in West Yorkshire are already getting reports on their COPD prescribing. For this study, they will just receive one of two different types of emails when these reports are sent out over a year: either a personalised email with advice or a simple notification email. This is an administrative change for practices, not something that directly affects individual patient care.

Potential risks and benefits

Since this study focuses on how information is sent to GP practices and doesn't involve patients directly, there are no direct risks or benefits to individual patients. Your medical care and treatment will continue as normal. The potential long-term benefit for patients is that if the study finds a better way to help GPs follow prescribing guidelines, it could lead to even safer and more effective COPD care in the future for everyone. Practices are free to opt-out of the larger NHS quality improvement project at any time, which would mean they are no longer part of this study.

Locations (1)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
Verified postcode
Leeds, United Kingdom

Common questions

Will my GP know if they are in the study?

Yes, their GP practice will be part of the larger NHS quality improvement project, within which this study is exploring the type of email they receive.

Will my personal health information be used?

No, the study only uses anonymous prescribing data from GP practices. No patient names or identifying details are shared with researchers.

Can I choose which type of email my GP practice gets?

No, GP practices are randomly assigned to receive either the personalised or generic email. This is done to make the study fair.

Will my medication change because of this study?

No, this study will not directly change your medication. Your doctor will continue to prescribe based on your individual needs and national guidelines.

What is COPD?

COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It's a long-term lung condition that makes it difficult to breathe, often caused by smoking.