Testing a Self-Management App for People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A Pilot Study

This is a one-arm pilot study where all participants will get access to one module of a self-management app for people with COPD. This module is an education and management of breathlessness module. All participants will get access to this module for two weeks where they will be able to use it as they wish to. This is a pre/post design, where participants will be completing questionnaires both before and after the use of the app. The education module is designed to provide users with an understanding of COPD and breathlessness, as well as providing them with practical tools to help manage their symptoms. The education module explains what COPD is, the causes of breathlessness, and the science behind why it occurs and also introduces different therapeutic approaches for participants to try. It is split into three sections of what is COPD, common symptoms and other common concerns. Therapeutic approaches used within the module are evidence based in the COPD context include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) (Heslop-Marshall et al., 2018; Heslop-Marshall & Burns, 2019), relaxation techniques (diaphragmatic breathing, pursed lop breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, visualisation) (Volpato et al., 2015) body positioning (Chan & Lehto, 2016) and some mindfulness. Throughout the module, relatable stories and visuals are used to help the user to connect to the content and relate it to their own life or situation. Some parts of the module will be faster to complete than others. Within the one module that participants will have access to (the education module) there are three sections. What is COPD, Common symptoms and Other common concerns. Depending on the interests of the participant they may spend more time in one section than others due to it being more applicable to them. However, participants do not have to complete sections in one go. They can start a section and return to this if they get interrupted. Adherence to the app will not be enforced during the study however we will be observing how participants engage with the app and will be using this to determine feasibility. For example, completion rates, app usage, and participant retention. Completion rates will be measured by the proportion of participants who complete the sections within the app content provided. App usage will be assessed by tracking the frequency and duration of interactions participants have on the app, such as the number of logins, time spent using the app, and engagement with specific modules.