Philips launches global patient education effort for World COPD Day

AMSTERDAM, Nov. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the launch of a global initiative to celebrate everyday wins by patients, providers and caretakers regarding the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Launching on World COPD Day on November 21, this awareness and celebratory campaign aims to help inspire COPD patients and their caregivers around ways to improve their overall quality of life. 

COPD is a progressive, life-threatening disease that is estimated to effect more than 251 million people globally and is estimated to be the third leading cause of death by 2020 [1],[2]. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that 12 million adults have COPD, with another 12 million going undiagnosed [3]. Despite the number of people impacted by this disease, there is limited awareness and a stigma associated with the disease, and once patients receive the diagnosis, they often don't know how to overcome the shock of the disease.

"COPD often presents challenges for patients to partake in daily activities," said Dr. Teofilo Lee-Chiong, chief medical liaison at Philips. "While COPD is a chronic condition, it doesn't need to be a debilitating disease. With new advancements like connected care technology, patients have the opportunity to maintain their quality of life by receiving treatment at home through remote monitoring capabilities, as well as having access to their physicians for any questions around their illness or therapy pathway. These solutions also provide patients with a stronger support network, allowing the local care team to keep patients motivated and assist with their day-to-day activities. Through a positive outlook, an active lifestyle and adherence to therapy, patients with COPD can take back control of their lives."

For COPD patients, Philips offers the following tips for living well and remaining active:

• Have a positive mindset – Alter your outlook on the disease and understand the key to remaining active lies within the individual.
• Define your goals – Ask yourself what you would like to be able to do. Set short- and long-term goals for yourself.
• Exercise sensibly – Exercise can help strengthen large muscle groups and improve airway circulation. Work toward enhancing strength, endurance and flexibility by breaking down tasks into smaller parts and schedule frequent rest periods.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle – Sustain a healthy diet with proper nutrition and adequate sleep. A poor diet can make symptoms worse and affect the ability to exercise.
• Be patient – Understand that progress takes time. With exercise and a healthy diet, your strength and endurance can recover.

This World COPD Day, each hour we will post real life "wins" patients around the world are experiencing each day to motivate them through the management of their COPD challenges.  Philips offers a variety of COPD and respiratory disease management solutions that provide treatment from hospital to home, while empowering patients to live an active lifestyle. For more information on Philips COPD solutions or to help spread awareness for COPD patients globally, visit Philips.com/WorldCOPDDay. Follow the World COPD Day 2018 conversation on Twitter @PhilipsResp  and at Facebook.com/PhilipsRespiratoryWellness.  

[1] Global Burden of Disease Study, World Health Organization 2016
[2] Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. 2017. Retrieved from: http://goldcopd.org/gold-2017-global-strategy-diagnosis-management-prevention-copd 
[3] COPD Foundation; Retrieved from: https://www.copdfoundation.org/What-is-COPD/Understanding-COPD/Statistics.aspx

For further information, please contact:

Kathy O'Reilly 
Philips Group Press Office
Mobile: +1 978-221-8919
E-mail: [email protected]

Meredith Amoroso
Philips Sleep and Respiratory Care
Mobile: +1 724-584-8991 
E-mail: [email protected] 

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2017 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at http://www.philips.com/newscenter.

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SOURCE Royal Philips