You are here: Telemed.no > News archive > >
App encourages COPD sufferers to exercise
The app has been tested in the laboratory with good results, and experiments with patients in their own homes will be conducted in autumn 2011.
People with COPD often miss out on beneficial health effects because they do not exercise following their rehabilitation programme.
In response, the Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine (NST) and the Northern Research Institute (Norut) have focused on the development of solutions that can facilitate and encourage continued exercising. To this end, they aim to utilise the mutual support created in the social group as well as monitoring by health professionals.
Together in time, but not in space
As part of the IS-ACTIVE project, NST and Norut have been involved in developing an app for a tablet computer which enables users to, among other things, go for walks together at the same time, but not in the same space. The app also includes an exercise video with a physiotherapist, weather information and a weekly schedule with the week's goals for the activity.
- Users can take walks together virtually. Via the closed social network the time is agreed and participants sign up. At the specified time they all go out for a walk, but in different places, said research director Lars K Vognild of Norut.
Exercise because it's fun
- Many groups of chronically ill patients find it difficult to continue exercising after they have been through a rehabilitation programme. In our projects we motivate people to be active because it's fun and because they can do it with others, said physiotherapist Marijke Risbert, who is also involved with the IS-ACTIVE project.
- Previously, we had classes with the help of video conferencing through the TV, and that was also motivating and worked well. With their tablet computer, people can keep in touch with others from the rehabilitation programme, agree joint exercise times, and take advantage of the features of a walk together. We have great faith in this concept, which we will test this autumn, she added.
Gain ducklings with exercise
The front page image of the app also plays an important role.
- On the front page of the application, users have a nice picture, in this case of a mother duck. For every physical activity they perform, the mother duck gets another duckling. The goal is that over the course of the week she should accumulate a young brood, explained project manager Tatjana M Burkow of NST.
- Previous research has shown that such motivational pictures have a beneficial effect, and our preliminary test results show the same, she added.
Background Information:
More than 200 000 Norwegians are affected by the chronic lung disease COPD, and the number is increasing.- By 2030, COPD is predicted to be the third highest cause of death worldwide.
- A new research report from Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences indicates that the majority of COPD patients stop exercising after completing their rehabilitation programme, even though they know that exercise improves quality of life.
- IS-ACTIVE project
Translated by the editorial team of ePractice.eu, an initiative of the European Commission.
E-mail this
