An NHS trust in Leicester looked at a digital health solution to care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients in the community as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2020, the trust turned to Clinitouch, our remote patient monitoring platform, to minimise in-person visits and provide patient-centred care in the comfort of their homes. With regular interactions facilitated through the digital platform, COPD patients stay connected with their clinicians.

Today, the trust continues to leverage the power of remote monitoring to provide COPD patients with the support they need.

Aims & Objectives

• To reduce unscheduled hospital admissions and re-admissions for COPD patients
• To safely monitor COPD patients in the community
• To empower COPD patients with knowledge and tools to help them self-manage their condition
• To minimise face-to-face contact with COPD patients at high risk of getting COVID-19

How it works

• Patient - Referred by a General Practitioner (GP) or clinician from a hospital respiratory ward. Patient is given access to Clinitouch and remote monitoring equipment. At home, patient answers COPD health questions and takes vital sign readings on Clinitouch including blood pressure and oxygen saturation.
• Clinitouch - The platform has unique algorithms that automatically analyse and risk-score the data. It will highlight when any patient moves outside the agreed parameters.
• Respiratory Specialist Team - Remote monitor COPD patients using the information the patients submit on Clinitouch. If patient is flagged amber or red on Clinitouch interventions are made.

Expected Outcomes

• Reduction in unscheduled hospital admissions
• Improved patient self-management and knowledge of their condition - COPD education resources available on the Clinitouch platform
• Improvement in their quality life - demonstrated by the COPD assessment test⁽¹⁾

Dr Noel O’Kelly - Medical Director at Spirit Health, comments:

"Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, remote patient monitoring provided specialist respiratory teams with the means to support COPD patients at home, particularly those who were shielding and still in need of monitoring and assistance.

"The lessons learned from this experience have carried over into the post-pandemic era, providing ongoing benefits for both clinicians and patients."

^{(1) Ghosh S et al. A cost-effective intervention for patients with severe breathlessness. Br. J HCM, 2018; 24 (11): 1-4}