Validation study of MEP questionnaire for simplified detection of exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The Questionnaire "Monitoring of Exacerbation Probability" (MEP) provides a novel simple tool to assist detection and semiquantitative numerical documentation of exacerbation (ECOPD) in daily routine. In a prospective multi-center trial involving 3751 visits of 810 patients in 21 centers, MEP was evaluated and compared to the application of the EXACT-Pro questionnaire under real world conditions. The population of COPD patients included in this study is a typical COPD population demographically and clinically. Defining a MEP score of one or more as a positive test result, we found a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 66%. Additionally, MEP results correlated clearly with EXACT-Pro results. This qualifies the MEP questionnaire as a valid tool for the detection of ECOPD and longitudinal characterization of COPD patients.