Recommendations Following Hospitalization for Acute Exacerbation of COPD—A Consensus Statement of the Polish Respiratory Society

Highlights What are the main findings? A multidisciplinary team should be involved in developing discharge instructions after hospitalization for a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation to ensure clear, consistent, and comprehensive documentation. Discharge instructions should be reviewed with the patient during hospitalization and supplemented with educational materials provided separately from the discharge summary. A personalized action plan for managing future exacerbations should be included. The discharge summary must specify the date of the follow-up appointment and contain a prescription for inhaled medications. What are the implications of the main findings? This document provides guidance for Polish healthcare professionals on how to create effective discharge instructions after hospitalization for a COPD exacerbation. The recommendations will support healthcare administrators in Poland in optimizing the process of preparing discharge summaries for patients hospitalized due to COPD exacerbations. Abstract Introduction: This document presents recommendations of the Polish Respiratory Society on discharge instructions following hospitalization for an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: The Delphi method was applied to achieve consensus among independent experts. Results: Fourteen recommendations were formulated. Experts emphasized that discharge summaries require clear graphical and editorial design to ensure readability for both patients and healthcare professionals. The involvement of a multidisciplinary team was recommended to provide coherent and comprehensive documentation. Discharge instructions should be discussed with the patient during hospitalization and supplemented with standardized educational materials provided separately. These materials should cover inhaler technique, smoking cessation, physical activity, pulmonary rehabilitation, and vaccination. For patients with respiratory failure, home oxygen therapy or non-invasive ventilation must be addressed. Discharge recommendations should highlight modifications in baseline COPD treatment and management of comorbidities. A personalized action plan for future exacerbations is essential, and dietary consultation is advised. Finally, discharge summaries should specify follow-up appointments and include prescriptions for inhaled medications. Conclusions: The Polish Respiratory Society recommends that discharge instructions be provided to all patients hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation.