Application
The MEP test can be used freely. No licence fees are due.
The test should be asked for regularly at every routine check-up of COPD patients. The control intervals should usually be about 3-6 months.
- The patient is primarily required to answer the 5 questions of the test without help. The answers are totalled to give the "native" MEP score MEP(n).
- In a second step, the doctor or a health professional verifies the extent to which an exacerbation can actually be confirmed. In this step, the accuracy of the answers to the questions is
checked.
Again and again, erroneous yes-answers are given to question 3 about hospitalisation (any hospitalisation is ticked as relevant, even if it was a hospitalisation for a completely different reason) or antibiotic therapy is erroneously ticked as relevant in question 5, even if it was given for a different indication (cystitis, dental treatment, etc.).
The review/verification results in the "verified" MEP score MEP(v). - The verified MEP(v) should be documented longitudinally in the laboratory sheet of the administration system. The course of the resulting MEP curve shows the practitioner the patient's exacerbation tendency at a glance.
In the past, it has proven useful to use both the MEP test and, in combination, the CAT test longitudinally in COPD patients, so that the practitioner can obtain a good overview of long-term events with regard to quality of life and exacerbations.
The latest version must be used.
If the MEP test is to be used within scientific projects/studies, contact is requested in order to be able to provide possible support and advice.
Please send us your study projects/study protocols and published results.
