The Potential Use and Value of a Wearable Monitoring Bracelet for Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Qualitative Study Investigating the Patient and Health Care Professional Perspectives
Background
The occurrence of exacerbations has major effects on the health of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Monitoring devices that measure (vital) parameters hold promise for timely identification and treatment of exacerbations. Stakeholders' perspectives on the use of monitoring devices are of importance for the successful development and implementation of a device.
Objective
This study aimed to explore the potential use and value of a wearable monitoring bracelet (CardioWatch 287-2) for patients with COPD at high risk for exacerbation. The perspectives of health care professionals as well as patients were examined, both immediately after hospitalization and over a longer period. Furthermore, potential facilitators and barriers to the use and implementation of a CardioWatch 287-2 were explored.
Methods
Data for this qualitative study were collected from January to April 2023. A total of 11 participants (eg, n=6 health care professionals [HCPs], 2 patients, and 3 additional patients) participated. In total, 2 semistructured focus groups were conducted via video calls; 1 with HCPs of various professional backgrounds and 1 with patients. In addition, 3 semistructured individual interviews were held with patients. The interviews and focus groups addressed attitudes, wishes, needs, as well as factors that could either support or impede the potential CardioWatch 287-2 use. Data from interviews and focus groups were coded and analyzed according to the principles of the framework method.
Results
HCPs and patients both predominantly emphasized the importance of CardioWatch 287-2 in terms of promptly identifying exacerbations by detecting deviations from normal (vital) parameters, and subsequently alerting users. According to HCPs, this is how CardioWatch 287-2 should support the self-management of patients. Most participants did not anticipate major differences in value and use of a CardioWatch 287-2 between the short-term and the long-term periods after hospitalization. Facilitators of the potential use and implementation of a CardioWatch 287-2 that participants highlighted were ease of use and some form of support for patients in using CardioWatch 287-2 and interpreting the data. HCPs as well as patients expressed concerns about potential costs as a barrier to use and implementation. Another barrier that HCPs mentioned, was the prerequisite of digital literacy for patients to be able to interpret and react to the data from CardioWatch 287-2.
Conclusions
HCPs and patients both recognize that CardioWatch 287-2 could be beneficial and valuable to patients with COPD at high risk for exacerbation, in the short as well as the long term. In particular, they perceived value in supporting self-management of patients with COPD. Stakeholders would be able to use the obtained insights in support of the effective implementation of CardioWatch 287-2 in COPD patient care, which can potentially improve health care and the overall well-being of patients with COPD.