• Marcel Braun, Olaf Schmidt, Thomas Schultz, Holger Woehrle, Martina Große Sundrup, and Christoph Schöbel.
• Universitätsmedizin Essen, Ruhrlandklinik - Westdeutsches Lungenzentrum, Klinik für Pneumologie, Lehrstuhl für Schlaf- und Telemedizin, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Deutschland.
• Internist (Berl). 2022 Mar 1; 63 (3): 255-265.

BackgroundManagement of patients with respiratory disorders, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), became challenging during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic due to infection prevention measures. To maintain care, a remote monitoring program was initiated, comprising a smartphone app and a Bluetooth spirometry device.ObjectiveTo assess patient- and physician-related experience with remote monitoring.Material And MethodsStructured questionnaires were developed to rate experiences from the patient or physician perspective on six-level Likert scales. Interactions between patients and physicians via the digital platform and overall utilization was analyzed.ResultsA total of 745 patients with asthma, COPD, post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other respiratory diseases were enrolled from 31 centers in Germany. Mean follow-up was 49.4 ± 12.6 weeks. Each participant submitted on average 289 measurements. Patient-reported experience with the remote monitoring program was positive, with the highest satisfaction reported for "Experience with home measurement" (1.4 ± 0.5; 99% positive), followed by "Communication/interaction" (1.8 ± 0.9; 83% positive) and "Overall satisfaction with program" (1.8 ± 0.8; 87% positive). In all, 70% reported subjective quality of life improvements related to participation in the program. Physician satisfaction with the program was also high with a mean rating of 2.2 ± 1.2.DiscussionApp-based remote monitoring was successfully implemented in routine care during the SARS-CoV‑2 pandemic and demonstrated potential for improvements in care. Patient-relevant experience was positive in all dimensions and remote monitoring was well accepted. Physicians who participated in the program also expressed positive experiences, as demonstrated by a high level of interaction with the platform and positive evaluations of effects from the program.© 2022. The Author(s).

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