Gathering COPD solutions in Barcelona

2009.01.15 av Jan Fredrik Frantzen

Figures from WHO indicate that 80 million people are living with COPD. On 11 and 12 February, the telemedicine researchers in the EU project Better Breathing will present their solutions to the problem.

Tatjana M. Burkow from the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine will be presenting the results from the Norwegian tests of tele-rehabilitation, using broadband, a TV and a remote control. Photo by Jan Fredrik Frantzen, NST.

For nearly two years, 10 partners from five European countries have worked together to develop technological support for COPD patients. They have also evaluated the best possible ways to use such solutions.

The aim has been to find new methods for helping those who are struggling with COPD - the illness that destroys the lungs of the people it affects.

Individual follow-up with tele-rehabilitation

Technological solutions that make it possible to offer rehabilitation for COPD patients in the living room of their own homes have been developed in Norway by the social science research institute NORUT and the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine (NST).

Linking the patient's TV to the Internet enabled a multidisciplinary team at the University Hospital of North Norway to stay in touch with patients — without the need for exhausting trips to the hospital.

"Through 'Better Breathing', we have now been able to improve our testing of this concept. And the results from the medical and financial assessments are promising. We can help more people without skyrocketing costs," says Tatjana M. Burkow at the NST.

Facts about COPD

80 million people have the illness

Destroys the lungs of patients

80 per cent of cases are due to smoking

3 million deaths in 2005, and the number is rising…

Source: www.wikipedia.org

In the Norwegian trial, 10 COPD patients received this type of "cyber-rehabilitation" over a period of three months. Pilot trials have also been conducted in Denmark, Spain and Wales. The results from all the tests are to be presented at the closing conference for the project in Barcelona on 11 and 12 February.

Registration and programme

The conference is open to all and free of charge. You can register by following this link: http://www.betterbreathing.org/workshops_events.html

Invitation to the conference (PDF, 525 KB)
Programme (PDF, 92.7 KB)

Better Breathing:

Gathering COPD solutions in Barcelona

Individual follow-up with tele-rehabilitation

Registration and programme

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