Underdiagnosis and misclassification of COPD in Sweden - A Nordic Epilung study.

In the high income country Sweden, the underdiagnosis of COPD was highly prevalent. Reduced underdiagnosis can contribute to risk factor modification, medical treatment and self-management strategies in early stages of the disease, which may prevent disease progression and improve the quality of life among those affected. Therefore, there is a need to increase the use of spirometry in primary care to improve the diagnostic accuracy.