Remote monitoring transforms care for COPD patients

For people living with COPD, small changes in breathing or oxygen levels can be the first signs of something more serious. Spotting these early can make the difference between recovering at home and ending up in hospital.

Before remote patient monitoring, these warning signs were often missed until symptoms became severe. That meant more emergency visits, more admissions, and more pressure on NHS teams. The pandemic made the challenge even greater, with vulnerable patients advised to avoid face-to-face contact wherever possible.

An NHS trust in Leicester turned to Clinitouch to help bridge that gap. The team wanted a safe way to minimise in-person visits and provide patient-centred care in the comfort of their homes. With regular interactions facilitated through the digital platform, COPD patients stay connected with their clinicians.

Today, the trust continues to leverage the power of remote monitoring to provide COPD patients with the support they need.

Aims & Objectives

• To reduce unscheduled hospital admissions and re-admissions for COPD patients
• To safely monitor COPD patients in the community
• To empower COPD patients with knowledge and tools to help them self-manage their condition
• To minimise face-to-face contact with COPD patients at high risk of getting COVID-19

How it works

Patients are referred by their GP or clinician from a hospital respiratory ward and are given access to the Clinitouch app along with any monitoring devices they need. Each day, they answer simple questions about their symptoms and record their readings, like blood pressure and pxygen saturation. This can be done via Bluetooth devices, through Apple Health or Google Health Connect, or via manual entry.

The Clinitouch algorithms automatically risk scores these responses, and generates a concern level. Green means everything is normal for that patient, amber indicates some mild or moderate concern, and red identifies when a same-day clinical response is needed. This is all displayed quickly and easily on the clinician dashboard.

From there, the respiratory specialist team can easily prioritise care and take any next steps. This could mean a quick phone call to check on the patient, a tweak to medication, or arranging for them to come in to clinic.

Results and impact

• Reduction in unscheduled hospital admissions - our previous published evidence shows a 67.5% reduction
• Improved patient self-management and knowledge of their condition - COPD education resources available on the Clinitouch platform
• 15.9% mean reduction in CAT score, demonstrating improvements to quality of life

Patients using remote monitoring report feeling more supported and less anxious about their condition. Knowing that someone is checking their readings every day gives them reassurance and helps them spot patterns they might otherwise miss.

For clinicians, it means they can focus their time on the people who need it most. By catching issues early, they can prevent flare-ups from turning into hospital admissions. This approach has helped reduce avoidable A&E visits and eased pressure on overstretched respiratory teams.

The system has also encouraged better self-management. Patients become more familiar with their own readings, learn what is normal for them, and know when to ask for help. Over time, this builds confidence and helps them stay healthier at home.

Dr Noel O'Kelly, Medical Director at Clinitouch, explained why COVID-19 meant significant changes to how respiratory illnesses are managed outside of the hospital.

"Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, remote patient monitoring provided specialist respiratory teams with the means to support COPD patients at home, particularly those who were shielding and still in need of monitoring and assistance."

He also explained that the lessons learned from this experience have carried over into the post-pandemic era, providing ongoing benefits for both clinicians and patients.

A smarter way to support people with COPD

Remote monitoring is proving to be a practical way to keep COPD patients safer, more confident, and out of hospital. It gives clinicians the insight to act early, patients the tools to manage well at home, and the NHS extra breathing space where it is needed most. Plus, with virtual wards providing a scalable step-down approach from hospital back to the community, tools like Clinitouch can deliver significant value for people living with COPD.

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