Table 1.

Set of indicators for proactive palliative care

A patient hospitalized for AECOPD is eligible for proactive palliative care when meeting two or more criteria of the following set of indicators:
1.	Hypoxaemia or hypercapnia at discharge
2.	Treatment of the exacerbation with Non Invasive Ventilation (NIV)
3.	Patient needs professional home care service for personal care after discharge
4.	Negative answer to the surprise question: ‘Would I (as lung specialist) be surprised if this patient would have a subsequent readmission for AECOPD within 8 weeks and/or would die in the next year?
5.	The diagnosis of a severe comorbidity such as:
	a. Non-curable malignity or
	b. Cor pulmonale (proven or non proven) or
	c. Proven Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) or
	d. Diabetes mellitus with neuropathy or
	e. Renal failure, clearance < 40 (GFR: in ml/min)
6.	CCQ total, day version ≥ 3
7.	MRC dyspnea = 5
8.	FEV1 (measured before AECOPD) < 30% of predicted
9.	BMI < 21 or unplanned weight loss (> 10% weight loss in last 6 months or > 5% in last month)
10.	Previous hospital admissions for AECOPD (last 2 years ≥ 2 and/or last year ≥ 1)
11.	Age > 70 years