Initiating co-creation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbation Management: Patients’ and Providers’ perspectives on Remote Patient Monitoring

Background: Early diagnosis of COPD exacerbations is crucial for preserving lung function, overall well-being, and reducing healthcare costs. A non-invasive breathalyzer is currently in the early technical development for remote patient monitoring (RPM), to monitor COPD patients and support exacerbation management. The development of the breathalyzer is steered through co-creation to ensure its compatibility to end-users needs and the existing COPD exacerbation care processes. This study covers the first phase of this co-creation process; contextual inquiry. Objective: To understand COPD care processes, exacerbation management, and RPM in the Netherlands, through three objectives: 1) Identify stakeholders involved in COPD exacerbation care, 2) Understand current COPD care, and 3) Assess stakeholder experiences and expectations regarding RPM in COPD care. Methods: Following the CeHRes roadmap, four research activities were conducted: 1) desk research, 2) interviews (n=34), 3) project group meeting, and 4) co-analysis focus group (Figure 1). Results: Seven key stakeholders were identified; patients, pulmonologists, general practitioners, nurse practitioners, nurse specialists, physiotherapists, and informal caregivers. Current COPD care and exacerbation management lacked uniformity, with patients struggling to recognize exacerbations. Patients with RPM experience were generally positive towards its use but questioned its added value for early detection of exacerbations. Those without RPM experience were receptive to its use but expressed concerns about reduced in-person care and overreliance on data. Healthcare providers valued RPM for monitoring and resources allocation but stressed the need for clear guidelines and identified barriers, such as language proficiency and technology usability. Conclusion: This study highlights opportunities to optimize RPM for COPD (exacerbation)care and RPM processes by enhancing devices, balancing data with patient-reported symptoms, improving communication between patients and providers, and ensuring inclusivity in exacerbation management like RPM. Funding: This abstract is part of BreathSense project, which has received funding from the European Union’s [Horizon Europe EIC] research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101115028.