myCOPD for managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

myCOPD is a digital tool for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and healthcare professionals. It is intended to support people to manage COPD. It can be used by people with any stage of COPD. Functions within the myCOPD app include:

• education on how to use inhalers correctly

• a self-management plan to help people understand what medicine to take and when

• a prescription assessment function to cross-check prescribed medicine, and identify any conflicts

• a COPD assessment for people to track their symptoms and learn how to control them

• access to an online 6‑week pulmonary rehabilitation course including an incremental exercise programme and education sessions to help promote self-management.

People can use myCOPD with any digital device that connects to the internet, such as smartphones, tablets, televisions and computers. Users' data will be shared with clinical teams if people accept the terms and conditions when registering with myCOPD. Clinicians can review the person's data to remotely monitor their symptoms and if appropriate suggest a change to their medicines. These suggestions are automatically shared with the person through the app.

The technology was supported by NHS England's innovation and technology tariff in 2017. The company states that the technology is compliant with the NHS Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC).

The NICE guideline on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in over 16s: diagnosis and management provides recommendations on managing stable COPD, covering smoking cessation, inhaled therapy, oral therapy, oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation and managing pulmonary hypertension. A recent update of the guideline focuses on monitoring, education and self-management. The guideline notes that most people with COPD can develop adequate inhaler technique if they have training. The guideline also recommends making pulmonary rehabilitation available to all people with COPD if appropriate, including people who have had a recent hospitalisation for an acute exacerbation. Pulmonary rehabilitation programmes should include multicomponent, multidisciplinary interventions tailored to the individual's needs. The rehabilitation process should incorporate a programme of physical training, disease education, and nutritional, psychological and behavioural interventions.

NICE's COVID-19 rapid guideline on community-based care of patients with COPD recognises the need to reduce face-to-face contact and recommends people use online pulmonary rehabilitation resources.

In the UK, face-to-face appointments are a standard approach when reviewing or monitoring COPD. myCOPD allows health service providers to offer a combination of remote care and face-to-face support. Using myCOPD could potentially minimise health service contacts and help with delivering care remotely.

The company provides an unlimited licence plan to healthcare organisations such as clinical commissioning groups or integrated care systems who want to make the technology available across their regions. Based on a 3‑year contract, this unlimited licence plan has an annual cost of £0.25 per person registered with a GP in the region. Alternatively, pulmonary rehabilitation service providers who do not have regional access to the technology can obtain an unlimited licence plan at a cost of £10,000 per year.

For more details, see the website for myCOPD.