Enabling Independent Living by Expanding Access to Home-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Project Summary/Abstract Minnesota HealthSolutions Corporation in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic proposes to further develop and refine a system for monitoring home rehabilitation of Chronic Obstrutive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD is a progressive lung disease that usually worsens over time and eventually may make it difficult for people to carry out regular, simple daily activities, such as walking or taking care of oneself. In the United States COPD is the fourth leading cause of death and continues to increase. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has demonstrated effectiveness for patients with COPD and is currently offered in hospitals and medical centers. Many people with COPD do not attend PR. With funding from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute we have developed and tested a system that has demonstrated it is possible to use current technology to facilitate home PR for patients with COPD. While the current system was designed for usability by older adults, through our first study we have identified key improvements to enhance its accessibility and increase engagement. We aim through this project to prototype and qualitatively evaluate those features.Project Narrative COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. and a very significant cause of morbidity in the elderly. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is considered an essential component of care and has a demonstrated ability to improve quality of life, but most people are unable to attend PR mainly due to distance and transportation. MHS and the Mayo Clinic propose to increase accessibility to a PR program to safely complete PR in their home.