The following is a summary of “Impressions and Perceptions of a Smartphone and Smartwatch Self-Management Tool for Patients With COPD: A Qualitative Study,” published in the February 2024 issue of Pulmonology by Wu et al.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients often delay seeking help until their condition worsens, highlighting the need for self-management tools to improve quality of life and reduce hospital admissions.
Researchers started a retrospective study to assess COPD patients’ experiences with a wearable and mobile app, aiming to identify areas for improvement.
They conducted semi-structured interviews within a more extensive prospective cohort study in which patients utilized a wearable device and application for six months. As stated in the parentheses, inquiries were made about the accessibility, acceptability, and usefulness of various features.
The results showed 26 interviews. The research findings were summarized into four main themes: information, support, reassurance, barriers to adoption, impact on communication with healthcare providers, and opportunities for improvement. The majority of patients found the feedback provided by the app to be reassuring and useful. Several patients encountered technical issues with the app and reported discomfort with the wearable device.
Investigators concluded that while patients accepted the wearable and mobile application for COPD management, further research is needed to optimize design and user needs.
Source: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15412555.2023.2277158
