A smartphone application for daily health management in elderly COPD patients was feasible, achieving a 99.4% compliance rate for daily records over 12 weeks.
Observational (n=40)
Does a smartphone application improve self-management and physical activity in elderly patients with COPD?
A smartphone application for daily health management is highly feasible and perceived as beneficial by elderly patients with COPD, though it did not significantly change overall sedentary time.
Abstract Rationale Maintaining and improving physical activity (PA) is crucial for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patient self-management in daily life is essential for this purpose. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and usefulness of a smartphone application for daily health management among elderly patients with COPD. Methods Forty outpatients with COPD (age 66 to 88 years old) who consented to participate were enrolled. A smartphone application provided by TEIJIN PHARMA LIMITED. was used to help maintain and improve PA levels. The participants installed the smartphone application and recorded various health data, including blood pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation, body weight, symptoms, step count, and medication status, over a 12-week period. Additionally, this smartphone application enables users to keep a short diary. Frailty check, respiratory muscle strength, and grip strength were measured before and after the recording period. PA levels were measured using a triaxial accelerometer during the first and last four weeks of the recording period. Results The participants exhibited high health awareness even before joining this study; 24 of 40 (60%) utilized a pedometer sometimes or daily, and 30 (75%) had regular exercise habits. Thirty-six participants successfully installed the application using a manual by themselves. Thirty-nine participants completed the study, demonstrating a high compliance rate of 99.4% for daily records over the 12 weeks. The median step count recorded by the patients was 3,662 steps. Post-use questionnaires revealed that approximately 90% of participants found the application beneficial, such as noticing changes in their physical condition. Approximately 35% continued to use the application after the study period. While there was no significant change in overall sedentary time (ST) when comparing the early and late phases of application use, individualized analysis showed that ST tended to decrease in 19 participants, and the duration of moderate-intensity activity (3.0-3.9 METs) increased in 25 participants. After the study period, there were no significant changes in muscle mass, grip strength and inspiratory/expiratory muscle strength. Conclusions Although the participants had a high proportion of individuals with high motivation for health management, it was concluded that elderly patients can utilize a smartphone application for daily health management. This application is considered beneficial as a tool to support self-management in COPD. This abstract is funded by: TEIJIN PHARMA LIMITED
E Ogawa (Fri,) conducted a observational in COPD (n=40). Smartphone application for daily health management was evaluated on Compliance rate for daily records. A smartphone application for daily health management in elderly COPD patients was feasible, achieving a 99.4% compliance rate for daily records over 12 weeks.