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The Lovexair Foundation Presents The Results Of The M-salud Happyair Program In Patients

This study, carried out in three hospitals in Madrid (Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, and Hospital Universitario La Princesa), included the participation of several p

 

 

COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, affects more than two million people in Spain. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the world, and it is expected that in 2030, 7,8% of deaths will be caused by this disease. The study "Effect of monitoring through m-health on adherence to a comprehensive care plan, physical activity and respiratory physiotherapy in patients with COPD", carried out by the Lovexair Foundation, evaluates the situation of the disease from different fields: On the other hand, it analyzes the benefit that said digital health program has for the respiratory patient; on the other hand, it evaluates the advantages that it also offers to the healthcare professional, who achieves greater monitoring and control of patients.

 

The Happyair m-health program is part of the Happyair project developed by the Lovexair Foundation and registered with the EIP AHA (European Innovative Partnership for Active Healthy Ageing, within the B3 Comprehensive Care action group).

 

This initiative, developed by Lovexair for 6 years, responds to one of the main objectives of the Foundation, which consists of developing programs aimed at improving the quality of life of citizens. The increase in life expectancy and the low birth rate cause an accelerated growth of the elderly and, consequently, an increase in chronic diseases. Thanks to the development of programs such as HappyAir, health services are provided that complement the current health structure.

 

This study was carried out between 2016 and 2017 and was carried out in three hospitals in Madrid (Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, and Hospital Universitario La Princesa). The study included the participation of multidisciplinary health teams and voluntary patients with COPD grades II, III and IV on the GOLD scale, with an average age of 69 years, and in a stable clinical situation. A third of the patients were users of oxygen therapy.

 

The patients were classified into two groups: a control group and an intervention group. Previously, both groups underwent a pulmonary rehabilitation program for 8 weeks in their respective hospitals. At the end of the rehabilitation, for 10 months, only the intervention group continued with the HappyAir Comprehensive Care Program. This program included the use of an application in which patients recorded daily data of interest related to their disease: medication intake, physical activity, assessment of warning signs in the event of possible relapses, etc. In turn, this program had the support of a HappyAir educator, a health professional specialized in respiratory health, who guided and monitored the patient's progress.

 

Four evaluations were carried out in both groups: at the beginning of the study, after completion of the pulmonary rehabilitation program, and at 8 and 12 months from the beginning of the study.

The results of the 4 evaluations indicate that the patients who have used the HappyAir m-health program improve their adherence to treatment, in relation to those patients in the control group (patients who have not benefited from the m-health program).

 

In this sense, it can be affirmed that, thanks to this study, both the patients and the researchers who have participated in the study have identified two keys that are demonstrated thanks to the use of the HappyAir Comprehensive Care Program:

 

Strengthens patient adherence to treatment

 

Increases the perception that the patient has about their state of health

 

The closure of the study had the participation of patients, relatives and health professionals from the hospital environment. Both health professionals and patients have shown their satisfaction and gratitude for having participated in the program. They also point out the importance of digitization in the health field, since these tools meet the demands of the population and guarantee patient empowerment. through the  Lovexair channel on YouTube you can read the testimonials of patients and health professionals who participated in the study.

 

The study has been presented orally at the ERS Congress, Milano 2017 and the partial results presented as a poster at the COPD Conference, Chicalgo 2017 and published as an abstract in the COPD Newspaper.

 

Thanks to the results obtained, the Lovexair Foundation is currently working on Phase II of the development of the HappyAir program in order to implement improvements that respond to the needs of the patient.

 

Happyair 2017-2018

 

Consequently we are working on Phase II.

 

1. Identify a round of financing for improvements in the development of the Foundation's own technological resources
2. To create and train a network of educators with the collaboration of institutions and professional networks that need to be trained in new skills to care for chronic patients, active life and digital health
3. To deploy these services and implement our resources with collaborators and partners who want to offer low-cost solutions to respond to the impact of chronic diseases and healthy living with our organization in a sustainable way

 

Phase II development:

 

a) A clinical monitoring and CRM platform:
From the perspective of the health professional, it will be possible to visualize and analyze the patient's progress.

b) A program available via the web where the patient can:

 

Follow and see your progress in meeting your goals related to: physical activity, smoking cessation, etc.

Complete your care plan daily.

Consult information related to your disease.

Ask your educator (health professional specialized in respiratory health).

Inform your doctor about your progress and evolution.

Attend events and activities (online/offline) that take place in your area

In short, the Foundation aims to provide the patient, family member and health professional with resources in order to meet their demands. Currently, better services are offered in the health field thanks to the application of technology. In turn, patients also demand digital solutions for their health care.