Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are two of the most prevalent chronic respiratory conditions, affecting more than 35 million Americans. Managing a respiratory disease involves a combination of medication, monitoring, and preventive care to reduce exacerbations and improve quality of life. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a valuable tool, enabling patients to track lung function and symptoms at home. Remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) can be used to assist managing their asthma and tracking medication adherence.
This article examines how connected health devices, such as remote peak flow meters, offer real-time insights, foster adherence, and support early intervention. By exploring recent research and practical applications, we explore the potential of RPM to enhance disease management for asthma, COPD, and related conditions.
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are among the most common chronic respiratory conditions. Remote monitoring allows In this article, we explore how patients are using digital devices at home to track their lung function and symptoms.
Chronic Respiratory Conditions: Asthma and Remote Patient Monitoring Research
Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that affects the airways and lungs. Due to airway narrowing, patients with asthma experience varying severity and frequency of recurrent attacks of breathlessness and wheezing. In asthma, airway obstruction can be reversible with inhaled medicines.
A new literature review published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology examined the application of remote monitoring in managing pediatric patients with asthma and allergies. The research showed that remote monitoring detected physiological abnormalities in 18.6% of the patients. Early detection led to prescription adjustments, decreased episodes of shortness of breath, reduced need for rescue inhalers, and improved symptom management. Additionally, 99.1% patients showed adherence to remote monitoring.
Remote Peak Flow Meter Use in Chronic Respiratory Conditions
Episode and illness prevention are paramount for patients with chronic respiratory conditions. Therefore, consistent tracking of symptoms is needed. Traditional peak flow meters are widely used in remote respiratory monitoring to measure and track peak expiratory flow rate (PEF.) PEF is a key indicator of lung function in asthma patients. However, a traditional peak flow meter requires manual recording and tracking of readings. These are often only used by a patient during an office visit.
Remote monitoring uses connected health devices such as a remote peak flow meter to manage chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma. A remote peak flow meter offers patients and clinicians a helpful tool for making informed therapeutic decisions. RPM can help physicians recognize triggers that exacerbate symptoms, evaluate the effectiveness of treatment plans, determine medication adjustments, and assess the need for emergency care.
Peak flow meters have been found to excel identification of airway constriction well in advance of severe symptoms, sometimes days prior. Remote peak flow monitoring with a digital peak flow meter fosters heightened awareness and enables early intervention across the conditions listed below.
Asthma
Research shows the following reported benefits of using a remote peak flow meter for asthma management.
- Increased awareness of disease status
- Decreased asthma episodes
- Decreased acute care visits
- Decreased missed school days
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to diseases causing airflow blockage and breathing problems. This includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. PEF is commonly used to assess lung function and health status in COPD patients. Research shows the following reported benefits of using at-home peak flow meters in COPD.
- Decreased frequency and magnitude
- of exacerbation symptoms
- Decreased dyspnea
- Improved lung function
Covid-19
COVID-19 puts those with chronic respiratory conditions at greater risk of complications. Individuals who experience Long COVID have signs and symptoms that continue following acute COVID-19 infection. Research shows that in patients with COVID-19, peak flow monitoring contributed to increased feelings of safety and enabled patients to recover in their home environment.
Chronic Respiratory Conditions and Airway Rehabilitation
Peak flow meters can also track improvement in expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) and cough skill training (CST). EMST and CST are two common treatment approaches to improve coughing ability and can be tracked using a peak flow meter. The ability to cough is an important airway defense mechanism to remove mucus and other potential hazards from the airways.
Dysfunction in the ability to cough greatly increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia and is common in neurodegenerative movement disorders. For example, Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS.) In addition, tracking airway rehabilitation in neurogenerative movement disorders improves maximum expiratory pressure and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR).
Understanding Chronic Respiratory Conditions and RPM
Remote patient monitoring shows promise for improving outcomes across a range of chronic respiratory conditions like asthma, COPD, and COVID-19. Remote peak flow meters enable patients and providers to track lung function better and detect early exacerbation signs. This allows for timely interventions like medication adjustments to prevent severe attacks and hospitalizations.
Additionally, remote monitoring fosters patient engagement and adherence. Overall, the research highlights many benefits of incorporating remote peak flow monitoring as standard practice in managing chronic respiratory illness. Transitioning from traditional to connected peak flow meters unlocks new potential in respiratory telehealth.
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