Telehealth in COPD

COPD is a common progressive respiratory condition, representing 3.9% of global disease burden. Symptoms include difficult breathing, frequent exacerbations, reduced functional status and impaired quality of life. Telehealth care, including synchronous and asynchronous modalities, and digitally supported self-management, provides an opportunity for more efficient, flexible and personalised care approaches. Current evidence for the benefits of telehealth care in COPD is unclear due to small participant numbers and heterogeneous interventions. Some evidence suggests that telehealth can reduce re-admission rates but impact on exacerbations and quality of life remains unclear. There is also little evidence that digitally supported self-management improves outcomes in COPD. The use of telehealth in managing comorbid anxiety and depression is still an emerging area of research, and any benefits in advanced care planning and palliative care are yet to be clearly demonstrated. There is little evidence to suggest that telehealth interventions cause harm, although studies have not routinely collected adverse event information. Despite the limitations of the current evidence base, telehealth may provide an exciting opportunity to meet the complex health needs of people with COPD, and future exploration of the potential benefits and patient perspectives is warranted.