Tele-coaching to promote physical activity in patients with COPD: Evaluation by patients

Abstract

Rationale: Tele-coaching programs are potentially an effective strategy to increase physical activity in patients with COPD. Whether such complex interventions are feasible and well received by patients is unknown.

Methods: From a larger RCT investigating the effectiveness of a tele-coaching program to increase physical activity levels in patients with COPD, 80 patients were included in the present analysis. These patients finished the 3 month complex coaching intervention including a step counter (SC), an exercise booklet (EX), an application (APP) installed on a smartphone device, text messages (SMS) and telephone contact with investigators (TEL) if problems occurred. After 3 months patient satisfaction was assessed using a tailored questionnaire.

Results: Main results are expressed as median [P₂₅-P₇₅] or frequency (%). When rating the usefulness of the different components on a 0 (not at all) to 10 (a lot) scale, patients rated the SC (10[8-10]) and TEL (9[8-10]) as the most important aspects. Display of an (educational) activity tip in the evening by the APP (7[5-9]) and EX (7[5-9]) were rated as somewhat less useful. SC was rated as the most important part of the intervention by 70% of patients and 10% of patients reported working with the smartphone as being difficult. Respectively 41% and 90% of patients were willing to use the APP and the SC in the future.

Conclusion: Based on this preliminary data a coaching intervention including a smartphone intervention seems well received by patients with COPD. The step counter and contact with investigators in case of problems were rated as crucial parts of the intervention by the majority of participants.