Home monitoring of the lung function

It is estimated that 435,000 Danes suffer from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - also called 'smoker's lung') to varying degrees. 23,000 hospitalizations per year are due to COPD.

Spiromagic is a prototype of an electronic apparatus that is meant to encourage and promote patient involvement and improve home monitoring, so that the patient and the therapist can get appropriate information to determine the best type of treatment.

Spiromagic is a price-friendly and easy-to-obtain-and-operate telemedicine spirometer that is capable of rapidly detecting changes, if any. Spiromagic is meant to create greater patient security and independence and thereby improved quality of life and fewer emergency admissions.

The need for further user involvement

The Spiromagic prototype has been created in close cooperation with users and the healthcare sector (patients, doctors, nurses and physiotherapists). The Danish Lung Association has also been involved.

The goal of the project is to continue the technological development of the prototype, and therefore further user involvement is needed in terms of feedback about the spirometer itself, the user interface, the instructions, and the mobile app.

That process is in the hands of Southern Health Innovation which has held workshops and focus-group interviews with COPD patients from the Central Jutland Region. Patients were recruited in close cooperation with the Danish Lung Association's Horsens unit.

Expected Results

It is expected that the cooperation with Patient@home will be the key to penetrate emerging markets and to show Spiromagic as an innovative and user-friendly product. The initial target group are patients with COPD who want to take responsibility for their own illness by purchasing a spirometer.

The long-term aim is to launch Spiromagic as a medical device that can be used in a hospital setting, but this will require further technological tests and approvals as well as a clinical pilot study.

Spiromagic is nominated for the Danish Design Award 2016.