The Chronic Airways Assessment Test (CAAT) formerly known as the COPD Assessment Test (CAT)
CAATTM and CATTM are the names for an 8-item questionnaire designed to assess the impact of disease on a person’s life (health status).
The patient-completed questionnaire can be delivered in paper format or digitally. It covers symptoms such as cough, phlegm, chest tightness and breathlessness, and disease impacts, including physical activity, confidence, sleep, and energy.
- The CAT was developed by a multi-disciplinary group of international experts in COPD supported by GSK, and it is available to patients and healthcare providers in multiple languages at the website https://www.catestonline.org/.
- The CAT has been used as a tool that helps patients and providers have a meaningful conversation when discussing the disease.
- The CAT was also used by researchers in observational and interventional clinical trials to support the development of new treatment approaches.
- Researchers can obtain access to the CAT (free to academic researchers and nonprofits) at https://eprovide.mapi-trust.org/instruments/copd-assessment-test.
- In addition to its use in COPD, the CAT has been used in studies in people with asthma, bronchiectasis, and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Those studies demonstrate the potential for the CAT as a tool for use in other lung conditions.
- The CAAT is the same questionnaire as the CAT, with an adaptation of the introductory sentence referring to “chronic airway disease” instead of COPD to permit its application to other conditions.
- Psychometric validation of CAAT in asthma and COPD was performed using data from the NOVELTY study1 funded by AstraZeneca.
- In addition to being a potential tool for clinical trials in diseases beyond COPD, for which the CAT was developed, the CAAT has the potential to be a tool used by patients living with multiple lung conditions and healthcare providers to have a conversation about their health status.
- For application in clinical trials (free for academic researchers and nonprofits), please apply here
https://eprovide.mapi-trust.org/instruments/chronic-airways-assessment-test
Download and use the CAAT
The CAAT form can be used only for the purpose of helping patients and clinicians.
If you are a person with COPD or asthma (or a caregiver):
The CAAT is a tool to improve conversations with your healthcare provider and help them better understand your symptoms and condition. This enables them to better support you and treat your COPD or asthma (shared decision-making).
To use the CAAT, either:
- Print the PDF linked in the section below and fill in an answer to each question. Then, show the finished form to your healthcare provider during your next visit or conversation. The form is available in several languages.
- Complete an online version of the CAT at https://www.catestonline.org/, where you can select your preferred language.
The CAT score and what it means to you and your provider will be the same as the CAAT score. This site offers translation of the tool into many languages and will also score your responses. You can then print a copy to discuss with your healthcare provider during your next visit or conversation.
The CAAT or CAT scores can only be interpreted with support from qualified healthcare personnel (your doctor, nurse, or respiratory therapist).
Your healthcare provider may ask you to complete the CAAT more than once to gain a better understanding of your symptoms over time.
Using the CAAT and CAT in healthcare systems
Updated 2023 digital implementation guide PDF:
A healthcare provider CAAT user guide and FAQ:
Educational video for providers on CAAT validation in asthma and/or COPD
Download the CAAT PDF in different languages
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Explanatory Videos
Learn from patients and providers about the benefits of using the CAAT in practice.
The CAAT Governance Board (GB)
Our mission is to make the CAAT available to a global audience of patients, families, and healthcare providers. The Global Allergy and Airways Patient Platform (GAAPP), a global umbrella nonprofit comprised of multiple patient advocacy organizations, assumed the operational lead for the GB in November 2023. This GB replaced the CAT governance board that was formed in 2007, managed by GSK until 2020, and then the COPD Foundation until November 2023.
The GB will focus on ensuring the CAAT scientific integrity and development strategy while working with an international Scientific and Clinical panel of experts focused on validation, dissemination, translations, and implementation of the CAAT in different lung conditions.
Clinical and Scientific Advisory Panel
CAAT educational postcard for downloading
Educational postcard support provided by Chiesi, USA, Inc.
CAAT References
- Tomaszewski EL, Atkinson MJ, Janson C, Karlsson N, Make B, Price D, Reddel HK, Vogelmeier CF, Müllerová H, Jones PW; NOVELTY Scientific Community; NOVELTY study investigators. Chronic Airways Assessment Test: psychometric properties in patients with asthma and/or COPD. Respir Res. 2023 Apr 8;24(1):106 (Full text article)
- Tamaki K, Sakihara E, Miyata H, Hirahara N, Kirichek O, Tawara R, Akiyama S, Katsumata M, Haruya M, Ishii T, Simard EP, Miller BE, Tal-Singer R, Kaise T. Utility of Self-Administered Questionnaires for Identifying Individuals at Risk of COPD in Japan: The OCEAN (Okinawa COPD casE finding AssessmeNt) Study. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2021 Jun 17;16:1771-1782. doi: 10.2147/COPD.S302259. PMID: 34168439; PMCID: PMC8216667. (Full text article)
Recent Publications about the original CAT
- Jones P, Soutome T, Matsuki T, et al. Health Status Progression Measured Using Weekly Telemonitoring of COPD Assessment Test Scores Over 1 Year and Its Association With COPD Exacerbations. Chronic Obstr Pulm Dis. 2024;11(2):144-154. doi:10.15326/jcopdf.2023.0415.
- Al Wachami N, Boumendil K, Arraji M, et al. Evaluating the Effectiveness of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) in Screening for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2024;19:1623-1633. Published 2024 Jul 11. doi:10.2147/COPD.S460649.
Note on translation: This page translation has been reviewed by a native language speaker in German and Spanish. All other languages have been auto-translated from English.