Determinants of between‐hospital variations in outcomes for patients admitted with COPD exacerbations: findings from a nationwide clinical audit ( AUDIPOC ) in Spain

Background Previous studies have demonstrated significant variability in the processes of care and outcomes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. The AUDIPOC is a Spanish nationwide clinical audit that identified large between-hospital variations in care and clinical outcomes. Here, we test the hypothesis that these variations can be attributed to either patient characteristics, hospital characteristics and/or the...