Reference standard diagnostic test
cough, dyspnea, COPD
COPD EXACERBATION, DISEASE, EVENTS, COPD
Given the absence of a single standard diagnostic test to verify whether a patient was in the compensated or decompensated phase of their disease, the clinical judgment of the participant’s responsible physician was considered a standard diagnostic test. Thus, in the decompensated phase, the diagnosis of decompensated HF and/or COPD exacerbation corresponded to the confirmed diagnosis from the participant’s attending physician (in cases of diagnostic doubt, the patient was excluded). For the compensated phase, a standard diagnosis of compensated HF and/or stable COPD was confirmed by a study physician through telephone contact with the participant 30 days after hospital discharge. During this telephone interaction, the patient was considered to be in the compensated phase if none of the following events had occurred since hospital discharge: increased cough, sputum or dyspnea; initiation of or an increase in corticosteroid use; and initiation of antibiotic treatment or medical consultation for worsening of the clinical situation from any cause. In cases of doubt or if the compensated phase could not be confirmed, successive telephone contacts were made until the phase could be confirmed. The interviewer scheduled home visits for the respective evaluations (V2, V3) only after confirmation and within 24–48 h of receiving confirmation.