Mobile-phone-based Home Exercise in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Patients in the mobile phone group were asked to perform daily endurance exercise training under mobile phone guidance, and the adherence was reported back to the central server. The level of endurance walking was re-assessed and re-adjusted initially on regular clinical visits every four weeks during the first three months. During this period of time, the adherence to protocol was reinforced by telephone from health professionals whenever patients missed one day of their walking training detected by the central system. Patients were asked to continue their exercise program at home at a fixed walking speed, and return to the clinic at 1, 2, 3 and 6 months.

all the subjects were assessed by an incremental shuttle walking test (ISWT) (24) for estimation of exercise endurance. Baseline spirometry and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. The adherence and compliance of the home-based exercise training program was assessed by monitoring the frequency of performance and the duration of the endurance walking program recorded on the central system every week. Patients were asked to continue their exercise program at home at a fixed walking speed, and return to the clinic at 1, 2, 3 and 6 months.