How many Australians have COPD and don't know?

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Australians with a debilitating and sometimes deadly lung disease may be missing out on early detection and treatment, with fewer doctors offering tests. More than half a million Australians are living with COPD, and experts suggest half of them may be unaware.

Transcript

00:00Once a week, Bert Wessels attends a lung rehabilitation class in Harvey Bay, three hours north of Brisbane.

00:09It's a challenging feat for the 83-year-old who lives with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

00:15My condition, caused by many things, I suppose at 14 started as a motor mechanic,

00:22big diesel workshop, full of fumes all the time, and I was a smoker.

00:28Making everyday tasks difficult.

00:31If I walk out of here and walk through my car, I'll be out of breath by the time I get there.

00:37It's Australia's fifth most common disease, causing around 20 deaths every day.

00:42We've got such a significant population affected by it, over half a million people.

00:47And a new report shows up to 50% of them mightn't even know.

00:51People are either being diagnosed too late or they're being misdiagnosed.

00:56The report found GP's use of lung function tests has declined by nearly 70% since 2019.

01:03When you've got a 70% drop in the GP billed services, it's just incredible.

01:11The Lung Foundation says doubling the Medicare rebate would go some way to improving outcomes for patients.

01:17The Federal Health Department says that's a matter for an independent body.

01:20But the government is considering ways to better coordinate the response to chronic conditions like COPD.

01:26A call for action to help future generations.

01:29A call for action to help future generations.

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