[LUM#20] A New Lease on Life for Urban Renewal
While the benefits of physical activity are widely recognized, it’s not always easy to put theory into practice. Especially when moving around means getting out of breath. How can we encourage patients with respiratory conditions to combat a sedentary lifestyle? At the University of Montpellier and Montpellier University Hospital, they’re 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 five 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 exhausted? According to Maurice Hayot, a physiologist and pulmonologist at the University of Montpellier (UM) and Montpellier University Hospital (CHU), and a researcher at the PhyMedExp Laboratory of Cardiac and Muscle Physiology and Experimental Medicine1, 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 tailored to their home environment. “This is a groundbreaking app and website designed to support patients in collaboration with their healthcare team to adopt behaviors that promote their health, ” explains Maurice Hayot.
Telerehabilitation
The doctor and his team have launched two randomized controlled clinical trials, in which 90% of 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 online educational workshops on the benefits of and best practices for 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 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, providing them with 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 life-changing; 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: moving 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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