In a new medtech innovation briefing, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended myCOPD, a new digital tool for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and health care professionals (HCPs) treating such patients.
myCOPD allows for services such as pulmonary rehabilitation to be provided remotely, based on a patient's self-assessed requirements. It can also help patients to manage their condition at home in view of limited services and resources because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
myCOPD can:
- teach patients to use inhalers correctly,
- help patients develop a self-management plan,
- cross-verify prescribed drugs to identify any potential conflicts,
- conduct COPD self-assessments for symptom tracking and control, and
- provide access to an online 6-week pulmonary rehabilitation course.
The technology is also beneficial for HCPs to evaluate a patient's medications and reports. Users of myCOPD can provide HCPs access to their data to enable remote care and monitoring. Clinicians can also recommend changes to the treatment regimen, which will be automatically shared with the patient through the app.
Evidence from two randomised controlled trials and one observational study suggests that use of myCOPD can reduce COPD symptom severity and improve inhaler technique. The cost of myCOPD is £40 per person.
