The Lovexair team attended the course "Respiratory Rehabilitation, when will your time come?" organized by Neumomadrid and by the Professional College of Physiotherapists of Madrid.

How representatives of the Lovexair Foundation attended the Course Eva Maroto, Head of the Training Department, and Begoña Jiménez Reguera, respiratory physiotherapist, creator of the Educaxair educational project and member of the Lovexair Foundation Advisory Council, in charge of presenting the Educaxair Program attendees.

Begoña Jiménez presenting Educaxair, the new focus on monitoring home programs.

After two days talking about pulmonary rehabilitation, we realize the existing need for this treatment among respiratory patients and the large number of beneficial effects that it can generate in the physical, psychological and emotional state of the patient, as endorsed by important medical societies in their consensus on this subject (ERS, ATS, SEPAR). All this supported by a great reduction in the total expense that each patient supposes for society.
Despite this, the implementation of pulmonary rehabilitation in Spain is practically nil for various reasons:
– Lack of knowledge on the part of pulmonologists of its benefits, which leads to a NO prescription of this treatment.
– Difficulty in implementing the service in hospital centers due to a shortage of human and material resources, despite the fact that these needs are minimal.
– Respiratory patients do not know that their health problem can be rehabilitated, which will provide a better evolution of their disease and, therefore, their quality of life. Due to this lack of knowledge, patients do not ask their respective doctors for the prescription of respiratory rehabilitation.
Another of the most debated topics in the conference was the lack of adherence of patients to treatment once the face-to-face phase of the treatment had passed, of those who received it. After this period of outpatient care, the patient no longer follows the recommendations and leads an active and healthy life, which means that in about 6 months all the beneficial effects that had been achieved with the rehabilitation disappear, which means that the money invested in this process has not been of much use, since the patient, in a short time, returns to being the same as before.

We have seen it interesting to emphasize some of the issues raised in the course:

Dr. Esther León (Hospital Cruz Roja): “Respiratory rehabilitation is recommended by large medical societies such as the ERS, ATS and SEPAR. These programs are very beneficial in all types of respiratory pathologies”. Our Educaxair project is based on the indications given by these guides.

Jordi Vilaró (Physio member of the Lovexair Advisory Council). “The higher the degree of severity on the GOLD scale, the COPD patients perform less physical activity. This implies a deterioration of the peripheral and respiratory musculature and the patient's state of health” With our Educaxair program we encourage physical activity.

“In Spain, only 0-3% of patients with COPD receive respiratory rehabilitation. Due to lack of means, infrastructure…” With our Educaxair program we can help solve this problem.

“It is very important to encourage physical activity in respiratory patients, regardless of the chosen modality. Physical activity does not necessarily have to be linked to a hospital. There are home programs with effects similar to these”. For example, Educaxair is adaptable to any environment.

"It is very important to maintain the adherence and motivation of patients after the rehabilitation period." With the Educaxair application we help solve this problem.

Dr. Mª Eugenia Dominguez Flores: "It is very important to assess the quality of life of patients both before and after rehabilitation"

Dr. Mª Teresa García Tejero: "Educating the patient and not just informing them is of vital importance for patients, since it will help them understand what is happening to them and better manage their illness." Education along with respiratory physiotherapy and physical activity is one of the basic pillars of Educaxair.

“The most important topics addressed in an educational program in patients with COPD are the pathophysiology of the disease, treatment, prevention of exacerbations, management of activities of daily living, medication, how to use oxygen…” all These topics are dealt with within the educational program integrated in Educaxair.

“Contact between patients is essential to improve their quality of social life. As well as being a good source of therapeutic education.” One of our objectives at Educaxair is to ensure that there are expert patients who help our professionals to educate other patients.
Our Educaxair program may be one of the possible solutions to these problems. It will provide a healthcare professional specifically trained for this who will be able to carry out a quality physical, educational and respiratory physiotherapy exercise program, based on the recommendations of the aforementioned rehabilitation guides and, thanks to its computer application, will help the patient to remain adhered to the marked treatment. With our application, the patient will make a daily record of their physical activity, mood, secretions, dyspnea... which will be controlled by their educator (physiotherapist, respiratory nurse) as well as by their doctors who will have continuous feedback on the evolution of the patients. .
For all these reasons, we see that the Lovexair Foundation is on the right track with its project educaxair.