[LUM#20] A New Lease on Life for Urban Renewal
While the benefits of physical activity are universally recognized, it is not always easy to put theory into practice—especially when exercise means getting out of breath. How can we encourage patients with respiratory diseases to combat a sedentary lifestyle? At the University of Montpellier and the Montpellier University Hospital, they are turning to digital technology.
The official recommendations are to engage in the equivalent of at least 30 minutes of brisk walking per day, at least 5 times a week. But where can you find the motivation to exercise when you’re dealing with a condition that leaves you short of breath or tired? According to Maurice Hayot, a physiologist and pulmonologist atUM Montpellier University Hospital (CHU), and a researcher at the PhyMedExp Laboratory of Physiology and Experimental Medicine of the Heart and Muscles1, digital technology can help get these patients moving again.
Through the m-Rehab research program, the specialist offers patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sleep apnea a digital telerehabilitation solution they can use in their own homes. “This is a unique app and website designed to support patients, in collaboration with their healthcare team, in adopting behaviors that promote their health, ” explains Maurice Hayot.
Tele-rehabilitation
The doctor and his team have launched two randomized controlled clinical trials, in which 90% of the patients have now been enrolled, including 200 patients with COPD and 180 with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. “COPD causes shortness of breath, which can make physical exertion more difficult, so naturally some patients tend to limit their physical activity. Similarly, sleep apnea can cause drowsiness and fatigue, which discourage physical exertion, ” explains Maurice Hayot.
To break this vicious cycle of inactivity, m-Rehab has set three goals: first, to offer educational video conferences on the benefits of and methods for engaging in adapted physical activity (APA). Second, to offer personalized consultations with a “care manager” to identify opportunities for engaging in APA. And finally, to provide guidance on how to adjust one’s effort level and monitor how one feels during exercise.
Changing Lives
The m-Rehab app thus offers them a method that will enhance their care journey, particularly through connected devices capable of tracking their step count and certain physiological indicators, which provide feedback. “But above all, these are support tools that enable patients to communicate with their care manager, with the human element remaining at the center of the process—particularly through digital group workshops where everyone can express their needs, limitations, or solutions, ” adds the specialist.
What kind of feedback have you received from patients? “Some say it’s changing their lives; they clearly rely on it to find motivation and take action, but other patients haven’t yet made the behavioral change—it can sometimes take a long time and may require personalized support…,” replies Maurice Hayot. The next step for m-Rehab is to move toward technology transfer to roll out this innovation to a wider audience. “Today, we have all the scientific evidence to confirm that encouraging physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior is beneficial not only in the management of chronic diseases but also in prevention for everyone, and a digital solution expands the possibilities.”
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- PhyMedExp (UM, Inserm, CNRS)
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