Lenus COPD Support Service for remotely managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Patient organisation comments

A representative from Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation gave the following comments.

About 50% of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) die within 4 years of their first emergency admission. Preventing emergency admissions would therefore be a huge benefit. Lenus COPD Support Service may offer greater access to care. This is currently a significant problem for people with COPD. The organisation's annual COPD survey found that 75% of respondents were not having appropriate care as outlined in NICE's guideline. Consistent monitoring with Lenus COPD Support Service may also benefit people with high levels of social isolation who may feel left behind. But if not implemented correctly, the technology could result in people feeling disconnected without regular contact with a healthcare professional.

Lenus COPD Support Service may be most useful to people with high digital literacy who want their care to be easier and more accessible. It may help healthcare services reach people who are less engaged in their care or who have less access to care in their location. The service should aim to reach people with inequalities in accessing care first. Some people with lower digital literacy may have difficulty using the technology. Some people may also have different expectations of care and may be resistant to digital alternatives. It is important that the technology is not seen as a compromise to standard care.

Healthcare professionals need to be able to assess and make decisions using the data in Lenus COPD Support Service without increasing their workload. Also, Lenus COPD Support Service does not address the burden of undiagnosed COPD. The technology would also benefit from considering the impact of COPD on people's daily living in addition to their healthcare needs.