Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUse and BenefitsHow It WorksHow to Take ItResults and Next Steps
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Use and Benefits
How It Works
How to Take It
Results and Next Steps
There are a number of questionnaires that healthcare providers use to assess the severity and impact ofchronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One of them is called the COPD assessment test, also known as the CAT. It is comprised of eight questions in which patients rate both their symptoms and the relative level of impairment.
svetikd / Getty Images
The CAT is heralded as a quick, easy, and painless way to get an objective look at how COPD impacts your life. Ultimately, it can help improve your patient-healthcare provider communication about the disease.
Some clinicians have not adopted the CAT in their daily practice, citingstudiesshowing that using the test is not an effective way to evaluate the measure of lung function—that it only provides a look at the disease’s impact on a person’s health status. However, many clinicians do use it, largely because of an evolution in thought about the value of diagnostic testing.Some studiesalso suggest that CAT may be useful in predicting the risk of exacerbations, the development of depression, and the progression of symptomatic disease.
Beyond Diagnostic Testing
In some cases, for example, a person with COPD may be diagnosed with minor impairment but be unable to walk up a flight of stairs. By contrast, a person with moderate impairment may function more normally than diagnostic tests were able to suggest.
The updated guidelines acknowledged that the expression of COPD is based on many intersecting factors, including the restriction of respiratory function, the frequency of exacerbations, and the person’s own perception of their illness.
The CAT helps quantify these factors based on a patient’s experience.
What Is a COPD Exacerbation?
How the CAT Works
The COPD assessment test is both simple and highly descriptive. The eight questions are each rated on a scale of 0 to 5. The numbers are then tallied for a score of 0 to 40. The higher the number, the more serious the impairment.
The range of questions is related to different aspects of the disease as follows:
How to Take the Test
You may also request to take the test in its entirety at your healthcare provider’s office and review the results right there and then.
While the CAT is not used todiagnose COPDand cannot replace COPD treatments, it is valuable in determining when treatment should be started, how many treatments should be prescribed, and how well or poorly a person is responding to treatment.
Based on the GOLD guidelines:
It may be helpful to take the CAT every few months, to get an idea of how your condition changes over time and with different treatment options.
A Word From Verywell
The CAT is a simple, noninvasive test that can give both you and your healthcare provider quantitative insight into your COPD condition and see how well you’re responding to care. While taking this test can’t help you diagnose the disease, it’s a great, free tool to use if you’ve been battling the condition that can help you monitor your therapy.
SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dal Negro RW, Bonadiman L, Turco P.Sensitivity of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT Questionnaire) Investigated in a Population of 681 Consecutive Patients Referring to a Lung Clinic: The First Italian Specific Study.Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine. 2014 Dec;9(1):15. doi:10.1186/2049-6958-9-15Karloh M, Mayer A, Maurici R, et al.The COPD Assessment Test: What Do We Know So Far?Chest J. 2016; 149(2):413-25. doi:10.1378/chest.15-1752Rodriguez-Roisin R, Rabe K, Vestbo J, et al.Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 20th Anniversary: A Brief History of Time.Int Resp J.2017; 50:1700671. doi:10.1183/13993003.00671-2017
Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dal Negro RW, Bonadiman L, Turco P.Sensitivity of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT Questionnaire) Investigated in a Population of 681 Consecutive Patients Referring to a Lung Clinic: The First Italian Specific Study.Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine. 2014 Dec;9(1):15. doi:10.1186/2049-6958-9-15Karloh M, Mayer A, Maurici R, et al.The COPD Assessment Test: What Do We Know So Far?Chest J. 2016; 149(2):413-25. doi:10.1378/chest.15-1752Rodriguez-Roisin R, Rabe K, Vestbo J, et al.Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 20th Anniversary: A Brief History of Time.Int Resp J.2017; 50:1700671. doi:10.1183/13993003.00671-2017
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Dal Negro RW, Bonadiman L, Turco P.Sensitivity of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT Questionnaire) Investigated in a Population of 681 Consecutive Patients Referring to a Lung Clinic: The First Italian Specific Study.Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine. 2014 Dec;9(1):15. doi:10.1186/2049-6958-9-15Karloh M, Mayer A, Maurici R, et al.The COPD Assessment Test: What Do We Know So Far?Chest J. 2016; 149(2):413-25. doi:10.1378/chest.15-1752Rodriguez-Roisin R, Rabe K, Vestbo J, et al.Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 20th Anniversary: A Brief History of Time.Int Resp J.2017; 50:1700671. doi:10.1183/13993003.00671-2017
Dal Negro RW, Bonadiman L, Turco P.Sensitivity of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT Questionnaire) Investigated in a Population of 681 Consecutive Patients Referring to a Lung Clinic: The First Italian Specific Study.Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine. 2014 Dec;9(1):15. doi:10.1186/2049-6958-9-15
Karloh M, Mayer A, Maurici R, et al.The COPD Assessment Test: What Do We Know So Far?Chest J. 2016; 149(2):413-25. doi:10.1378/chest.15-1752
Rodriguez-Roisin R, Rabe K, Vestbo J, et al.Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 20th Anniversary: A Brief History of Time.Int Resp J.2017; 50:1700671. doi:10.1183/13993003.00671-2017
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
