Remote monitoring of patients with COPD disease using a tablet system: a randomised crossover study of quality-of-life measurements

Malte Frerichs; Huiqi Li; Anders Andersson; Kristina Andelid; Monica Crona; Lowie E G W Vanfleteren

doi:10.1183/23120541.00532-2024

Remote monitoring of patients with COPD disease using a tablet system: a randomised crossover study of quality-of-life measurements

ERJ Open Res. 2025 Jan 13;11(1):00532-2024. doi: 10.1183/23120541.00532-2024. eCollection 2025 Jan.

Authors

Malte Frerichs¹, Huiqi Li², Anders Andersson^{1

3}, Kristina Andelid¹, Monica Crona¹, Lowie E G W Vanfleteren^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, COPD Center, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
² School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
³ Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Abstract

Background: Remote patient monitoring (RPM) has been evaluated in COPD, but with varying results. We aimed to evaluate whether a tablet system that monitors disease-related parameters in patients with COPD could influence physical and mental health-related quality of life, compared with usual care (UC).

Methods: 70 patients with Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) group D COPD (61% women, aged 71±8 years, forced expiratory volume in 1 s % predicted 41±13%, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) 19±7 points) were recruited at the COPD centre in Gothenburg, Sweden, and randomised to a tablet-based RPM system or UC for a 26-week period, after which they crossed over to the alternative management for another 26 weeks. The Short Form-12 (SF-12) (primary outcome), CAT, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnoea Scale, EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were evaluated at four visits. Exacerbations were continuously reported, as was adherence to RPM.

Results: 59 patients completed the study: 28 patients randomised to start with UC and 31 randomised to start with RPM. The changes in the SF-12 Physical Component Summary (PCS) (UC: -1.17±6.90 versus RPM: -1.06±8.15) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) (UC: 0.63±11.14 versus RPM: -0.63±8.15), as well as in CAT, the mMRC scale, the EQ-5D, HADS anxiety, HADS depression and number of exacerbations, were similar in both intervention periods. Neither the 26-week UC period nor the intervention significantly affected the measured outcomes. There was a 95% adherence rate during RPM.

Conclusions: A 26-week tablet-based RPM system that monitors CAT, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, pulse, weight and physical activity, connected to a case manager, is feasible and safe, but did not influence health-related quality of life in patients with COPD GOLD D.