Oxygen saturation measurements in telemonitoring of patients with COPD: a systematic review

Joren Buekers, Patrick De Boever, Anouk W. Vaes, Jean-Marie Aerts, Emiel F. M. Wouters, Martijn A. Spruit, Jan Theunis*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal(Systematic) Review article peer-review

Abstract

Introduction: Telemonitoring applications are expected to become a key component in future healthcare. Despite the frequent use of SpO(2) measurements in telemonitoring of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), no profound overview is available about these measurements. Areas covered: A systematic search identified 71 articles that performed SpO(2) measurements in COPD telemonitoring. The results indicate that long-term follow-up of COPD patients using daily SpO(2) spot checks is practically feasible. Very few studies specified protocols for performing these measurements. In many studies, deviating SpO(2) values were used to raise alerts that led to immediate action from healthcare professionals. However, little information was available about the exact implementation and performance of these alerts. Therefore, no firm conclusions can be drawn about the real value of SpO(2) measurements. Future research could optimize performance of alerts using individualized, time-dependent thresholds or predictive algorithms to account for individual differences and SpO(2) baseline changes. Additionally, the value of performing continuous measurements should be examined. Expert commentary: Standardization of the measurements, data science techniques and advancing technology can still boost performance of telemonitoring applications. All these opportunities should be thoroughly explored to assess the real value of SpO(2) in COPD telemonitoring.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)113-123
Number of pages11
JournalExpert Review of Respiratory Medicine
Volume12
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2018

Keywords

  • COPD
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • telemonitoring
  • remote monitoring
  • oxygen saturation
  • oximetry
  • exacerbation
  • OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY-DISEASE
  • RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-TRIAL
  • CHRONIC RESPIRATORY-FAILURE
  • FUNCTIONAL HEALTH-LITERACY
  • COST-UTILITY ANALYSIS
  • LONG-TERM CONDITIONS
  • HOME-CARE PATIENTS
  • QUALITY-OF-LIFE
  • CLINICAL-TRIAL
  • TELEHEALTH PROGRAM

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