The use of mobile health in the management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

The prevalence and mortality rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are increasing worldwide. Therefore, COPD remains a major public health problem. Using an mobile health (mHealth) intervention has the potential to enhance COPD treatment outcomes while mitigating healthcare costs. However, the complexity of the process of developing an mHealth intervention for COPD management is poorly understood, and in-depth assessment of the development process of mHealth interventions for COPD management is currently lacking. This thesis advances our understanding of how to apply the human-centered design process when developing an mHealth intervention for COPD management. The thesis is composed of the following five interconnected journal articles: 1. A systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize and quantify the effect of mHealth interventions on patients with COPD; 2. A qualitative study to explore the perceptions of healthcare providers regarding an mHealth intervention for COPD management; 3. A mixed methods study to explore the perceptions of patients with COPD regarding an mHealth intervention for COPD management; 4. A qualitative study to identify the features of an mHealth intervention for COPD management; and, 5. A mixed methods approach, the iterative convergent design, to guide the usability testing process for mHealth interventions. The outcomes of this research contribute to knowledge about the use of mHealth in COPD management. Firstly, this thesis provides an overview of the effectiveness of mHealth in COPD management. Secondly, it provides an understanding of how to actively and efficiently involve users in the design and development of health information technology. Thirdly, it provides recommendations regarding the features of an mHealth intervention to enhance COPD management. Lastly, it proposes a mixed methods framework for mHealth usability testing. The application of the proposed methods is demonstrated using different case studies. This program of research highlights the process of developing an mHealth intervention for COPD management. Application of the findings could help others in the field to further investigate the development of mHealth interventions in this area.