The gold standard of
care
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
mandated in 2019 that people with COPD should receive an individualised and comprehensive
self-management plan. The gold standard care for COPD is pulmonary
rehabilitation - a specialised programme of exercise and education – but there
are many other issues that COPD patients can experience in self-managing their
care. Patients have to learn a host of new information on their condition
including how to use emergency antibiotic kits for repeat chest infections, inhaler
techniques, pulmonary rehab exercises, medications management, mindfulness
during breathless and anxiety attacks and more.
myCOPD – an eHealth app developed by UK company, my mHealth
– is proven to be as effective as pulmonary rehabilitation. An NHS Approved,
comprehensive self-management tool for COPD patients, it empowers them to
self-manage their condition with confidence by allowing patients to set
achievable goals. Research has demonstrated that it can improve inhaler
technique, reduce symptom scores, and reduce the number of exacerbations and
hospital admissions.[1]
However,
prior to this collaborative project, it was underutilised in some care pathways.