Mitigating chronic respiratory disease through the lens of multimorbidity: the MARES mixed-methods study protocol.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are among the leading non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide. However, diagnosing CRDs in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains challenging due to limited access to spirometry and trained professionals. Aggravating the burden, CRDs often coexist with other NCDs, increasing healthcare costs, reducing quality of life and elevating mortality. These challenges highlight the need for simple case-finding approaches for CRDs, such as the COPD in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries Assessment (COLA-6) questionnaire, to support prompt identification and appropriate care within NCD services in LMICs.

Objective

To evaluate the discriminative accurac

SUBMITTER: Mendes RG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12815162 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature