Are all models of intermediate care beneficial to patients with COPD?

It is currently fashionable to believe that patients with chronic diseases can be managed safely, effectively and more cheaply entirely in the community. In the UK, current commissioning and financial models encourage the development of services to provide continuing care as well as to replace acute care traditionally provided by hospitals. For some patients, this may be appropriate, but there is a danger of taking it too far and for patients to be denied appropriate input from specialists.

Reproduced with permission from the BMJ Publishing Group.