Advancing COPD care through digital technology

Respiratory diseases, a common example of which is chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), remain significant causes of healthcare utilisation and mortality across the world. Current estimates suggest approximately 1.4 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with COPD and a further 70% may currently be undiagnosed.^1,2 The term COPD is used to describe a group of progressive lung conditions characterised by airflow limitation and the destruction of lung tissue. Common symptoms include breathlessness on exertion, a persistent cough with mucus, wheezing and fatigue. COPD exacerbations or acute periods of worsening respiratory symptoms can be highly disabling and may require hospitalisation when severe.

The care of respiratory conditions, like COPD, places enormous pressure on healthcare services, including the NHS. Those challenges that are impacting the NHS' ability to provide effective care for COPD include delays in diagnosis, poor patient adherence to prescribed treatments and inadequate monitoring of respiratory exacerbations. There are more than four million GP consultations, 130,000 hospital admissions and 30,000 deaths in the UK due to COPD each year.^3,4 The resulting costs to the NHS have been estimated at £1.9 billion per year and are expected to rise to more than £2.5 billion by 2030.^5,6

Without doubt, improvements in COPD diagnosis and monitoring are needed to optimise patient outcomes and help relieve the pressure on clinicians and overburdened healthcare systems. Digital technology has the power to address these challenges and while several are currently in use or development for COPD, there are barriers hindering their development and implementation in the NHS and impacting the care of COPD patients.