Efficacy of a cell-phone-based exercise program for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

¹ Dept of Thoracic Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; and Dept of Medicine
² Dept of Thoracic Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; and Dept of Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
³ IT and Visualization Division, National Center for High-Performance Computing, Hsinchu, Taiwan
⁴ National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London& Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: q8828{at}ms11.hinet.net.

	Abstract

Application of a supervised endurance exercise training program in a home setting that offers convenience and prolonged effects is a challenge.

Forty eight patients were assessed by incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT), spirometry, and quality of life questionnaire (SF-12®) initially, every four weeks for three months and one year later. During the first three months, twenty four patients in the cell phone group were asked to perform daily endurance walking at 80% of their maximal capacity by following the tempo of music from a program installed in a cell phone. The level of endurance walking at home was re-adjusted monthly according to the result of ISWT. Twenty four patients in the control group received the same protocol and were verbally asked to take daily walking exercise at home.

Patients in the cell phone group significantly improved their ISWT distance and duration of endurance walking after eight weeks. The improvements in ISWT distance, inspiratory capacity, and SF-12® scoring at 12 weeks persisted till the end of the study with less acute exacerbations and hospitalizations.

In this pilot study, the cell phone-based system provides an efficient home endurance exercise training program with good compliance and clinical outcomes in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. D Maclay, R. A Rabinovich, and W. MacNee Update in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 2008 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., April 1, 2009; 179(7): 533 - 541. [Full Text] [PDF]