Digital gamification-based pursed lip breathing exercises driven by Behaviour Change Wheel in patients with COPD: a...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) interventions often involve repetitive exercises that can lead to poor adherence.
• Innovative, engaging, and user-friendly rehabilitation devices are needed for effective COPD management.
• The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework can guide the development of interventions to improve exercise adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and assess the safety, feasibility, and acceptability of a digital gamification-based pursed lip breathing (PLB) intervention (DT-PLB) for home-based COPD management.
• To transform traditional PLB exercises into an interactive and enjoyable experience using a digital platform.
• To evaluate the potential of the DT-PLB system, guided by the BCW framework, to enhance motivation and adherence in COPD patients.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post study design was employed to evaluate the DT-PLB intervention.
• The DT-PLB system, developed based on research evidence and the BCW framework, comprises five smartphone modules: Ranking, Report, Daily PLB Tasks, Social Community, and Mine.
• Eligible COPD patients will perform DT-PLB for 10 minutes, three times daily for 8 weeks in non-hospital settings. Data collected at baseline and post-intervention include feasibility outcomes and secondary clinical outcomes (dyspnoea, exercise capability, quality of life, pulmonary function).

Main Results:

• Feasibility outcomes, including participant recruitment and intervention completion rates, will be the primary measures.
• Secondary outcomes will assess the intervention's effect on dyspnoea, exercise capability, quality of life, and pulmonary function index.
• The study aims to establish the groundwork for future efficacy trials of the DT-PLB system.

Conclusions:

• The DT-PLB system offers a novel, gamified approach to pursed lip breathing exercises for COPD patients.
• This digital intervention, guided by the BCW framework, has the potential to improve adherence and engagement in home-based rehabilitation.
• Successful implementation could lead to wider application in clinical settings for COPD management.