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Founded by seven COPD
patients, COPD-International is a nonprofit organization whose purpose
is to provide information and interactive support for COPD patients,
caregivers, families and concerned individuals. At COPD International,
you will not be alone. Organized and staffed by individuals with COPD,
caregivers and other individuals interested in COPD, it provides an
online, interactive resource of information and support through its
chatrooms, message boards, e-mail lists, community forums, a weekly
newsletter, a blog, quit smoking and exercise support areas, and an
extensive library which is also the permanent home of Bill Horden's
COPD-Advocate, (the original COPD Advocate) -- renown for such writings
as the COPD Survival Guide.
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The website with its
30,000 files (393 mb) features:
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7 chat rooms with 39
scheduled chats for interactive education and support. In addition,
there are special topic chats for newcomers, caregivers and quit smoking
support.
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7 Message boards
providing help, guidance and answers to specific questions.
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3 List Servers
providing 24 hours a day e-mail information and support.
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A Quit Smoking (QSN)
program that provides the ongoing support to help kick the habit
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An Exercise guidance
and support program.
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A Keep in Touch (KIT)
program for those who live alone.
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A Loving Thoughts
program provides a special message center for sending caring messages
during tough times. These messages are often printed out and taken
to COPDers who are hospitalized.
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A Cheer Bear program
which anonymously sends cards and cheerful messages to help people
though
difficult times as well as sending special messages of thanks or
greetings.
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A Welcome Wagon
program, staffed by community members, helps new and old website
visitors by sharing
information and providing website assistance and guidance.
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An ever-expanding
reference area complete with a searchable Library. Included in the
library are;
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Over 850 files of COPD related
information
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The Reading Room - With a current
news feeds for COPD subjects. Since many COPDers have a number of other
conditions, there is a general medicine and a complementary medicine
news feed to help keep current on major developments in all phases of
medicine
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Printable checklists, ranging
from questions for your doctor to lists of medical abbreviations that
apply.
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The Personal Experiences pages
featuring a collection of articles written by patients and caregivers.
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The Guest writer section, featuring
articles on specialized subjects
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The Bill Horden Wing - Best
known for the COPD Survival Guide, and the newsletter and website called
the COPD Advocate, this pioneer of COPD Advocacy set the standards for
providing today's support and information. The Bill Horden wing of the
library is now the permanent home of all of Bill Horden's writings. A
must read for all, his COPD Survival Guide is referenced on medical
websites around the world
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A weekly email newsletter to keep you
informed on the latest COPD news.
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The COPD-Info blog, with its
RSS feed, provides the very latest news, articles and information on
COPD.
The website deliberately
does not require, nor ask for membership. This policy decision allows
the many, who are shy, embarrassed, or otherwise inclined not to be
identified to still receive support and education on their disease, even
in anonymity. The following monthly statistics illustrate the success of
this decision.
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Total Visiting Users:
146,750 per month (over 1¾
million per year pace)
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Total hits (including
graphics): more than 673,000 per month
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Total page views: 280.600
per month (pages of information about, or in support of COPD)
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Total data transferred: more
than 2.8 gigabytes per month
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Our message board alone
receives 25,000 hits per month from more than 2000 registered users, an
untold number of unregistered posters, and an untold number who simply
go there to read and educate themselves.
Data collected: 6/10/07
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