Supporting prolonged COPD monitoring using an application for mobile devices

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Digital Health
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent respiratory illness.
• Disease exacerbations significantly reduce patient quality of life.
• Current monitoring methods are often insufficient for early detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel home monitoring system for early COPD exacerbation detection.
• To enhance patient care through continuous, site-independent monitoring.
• To integrate patient data with healthcare systems for improved management.

Main Methods:

• A rapid respiratory test capturing pulmonary parameters.
• A mobile application (Android, iOS, Windows) for data analysis.
• Secure data transmission via Extensible Markup Language (XML) to a central server and database.
• Automated alerts to relatives and doctors upon detecting critical values.
• Integration with Hospital Information Systems via Health Level 7 (HL7) interface.

Main Results:

• The system enables real-time analysis of pulmonary function data.
• Automated notifications facilitate timely medical intervention.
• The HL7 interface allows seamless data exchange with existing healthcare infrastructures.
• The project aims for improved, accessible patient care.

Conclusions:

• This home monitoring solution offers a promising approach for proactive COPD management.
• Early recognition of exacerbations through digital health tools can significantly improve patient outcomes.
• The system's integration capabilities support a more connected and efficient healthcare ecosystem.