Emphysema Foundation of America and Olympus Collaborate on Virtual Lung Health Education Series

LOS ANGELES and CENTER VALLEY, Pa., July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Emphysema Foundation of America (EFA) and medical device corporation Olympus Corporation of the Americas will partner in providing a virtual lung health education series on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The series will feature five free virtual workshops to educate COPD patients, caregivers of COPD patients, and health care providers.

The virtual lung health education workshops will be offered monthly from July through December 2021 and will provide:

• COPD patients with the knowledge and resources they need to better manage living with the leading adult chronic lung disease in the world.
• Caregivers with information that will help them provide better patient care to those they assist with daily life activities.
• Physicians and other health care providers with the latest therapies and treatments to help treat and manage COPD.

"We are excited to partner with Olympus in providing educational resources to help those living with COPD better manage their respiratory health," said EFA's President and CEO Marc Carrel. The series is designed to improve the quality of life of those living with the disease and to encourage adults to be screened for chronic lung diseases. Early diagnosis of COPD is critical to maintaining a higher quality of life, but studies suggest COPD is underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed in approximately two-thirds of patients at risk of COPD.ⁱ 

Although COPD, an umbrella term for emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., many Americans are unaware that they have this disease.ⁱⁱ Nationally there are 16 millionⁱⁱⁱ adults diagnosed with COPD but approximately another 15 million have COPD symptoms or evidence of impaired lung function yet have never been tested for the disease^.iv,v,vi,vii With the support of partners like Olympus, EFA will reach more people struggling with COPD and encourage those experiencing symptoms to be screened.

"Olympus cares deeply about combatting lung disease and is committed to finding solutions to help relieve the symptoms of COPD," said Lynn Ray, Vice President and General Manager of the Global Respiratory Business Unit for Olympus Corporation. "We are very excited to partner with the EFA to ensure that the general public is more educated about the commonly overlooked symptoms of COPD, with the goal of ensuring this disease can be properly and proactively treated." 

"The Emphysema Foundation of America is proud to serve those individuals and families suffering with emphysema and COPD," said Carrel. "We are thankful to Olympus for providing us the support to create this important opportunity to educate patients, caregivers, and medical professionals and to improve respiratory health and chronic lung disease across the nation."

Find more information about the workshops here: emphysema.org/doctors-and-care-givers/events/.

About Emphysema Foundation of America

Emphysema Foundation of America (EFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization seeking to increase awareness of emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and conduct and support activities and research to prevent and treat those diseases.  It conducts advocacy on lung health and tobacco issues in multiple states and Washington, DC.  It fosters research, provides patient-support programs, and sponsors educational opportunities for health care providers such as the upcoming 2021 Pacific Coast Lung Health Conference scheduled for November 20, 2021, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. To learn more, visit emphysema.org.

About Olympus Corporation of the Americas

Olympus is passionate about creating customer-driven solutions for healthcare professionals and the patients they serve. Olympus Corporation of the Americas is headquartered in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA, with 5,500 employees throughout North and South America. For more information, visit www.olympusamerica.com.

ⁱ Laucho-Contreras ME, Cohen-Todd M. Early diagnosis of COPD: myth or a true perspective. European Respiratory Society. https://err.ersjournals.com/content/29/158/200131. Published December 31, 2020.

ⁱⁱ Lamprecht B, Soriano JB, Studnicka M, et al. Determinants of underdiagnosis of COPD in national and international surveys. Chest. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25950276/. Published 2021.

ⁱⁱⁱ Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/copd/index.html. Published February 22, 2021.

^iv Martinez CH, Mannino DM, Jaimes FA, et al. Undiagnosed Obstructive Lung Disease in the United States. Associated Factors and Long-term Mortality. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 2015;12(12):1788-1795. doi:10.1513/annalsats.201506-388oc

^v Charles Patrick Davis MD. COPD Treatment, Symptoms, Definition, Diagnosis. MedicineNet. https://www.medicinenet.com/copd_chronic_obstructive_pulmonary_disease/article.htm. Published November 18, 2020.

^vi Mannino DM. Obstructive Lung Disease and Low Lung Function in Adults in the United States. Archives of Internal Medicine. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/485351. Published June 12, 2000.

^vii Millions May Be Living with Undiagnosed COPD, Missing Opportunities to Improve Quality of Life, says American Lung Association. American Lung Association. https://www.lung.org/media/press-releases/millions-may-be-living-with-copd. Published 2021.

SOURCE Olympus Medical Systems Group