The Role of Digital Health in Respiratory Diseases Management: A narrative review of recent literature

Malik A Althobiani ^1,2,3* Anne-Marie Russell ⁴ Joseph Jacob ⁵ Yatharth Ranjan ⁶ Rami Ahmad ⁷ Amos A Folarin ^10,6,8,9 John R Hurst ¹ Joanna Catherine Porter ^1,2

• ¹ UCL Respiratory, University College London, London, United Kingdom
• ² Interstitial Lung Disease Service, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
• ³ Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
• ⁴ Exeter Respiratory Innovations Centre, University of Exeter, London, United Kingdom
• ⁵ Satsuma Lab, Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, United Kingdom
• ⁶ Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, United Kingdom
• ⁷ Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, United States
• ⁸ South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
• ⁹ Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, United Kingdom
• ¹⁰ NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, United Kingdom

This review provides a detailed overview of how digital health can be utilised in the management of Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). ILD encompasses a diverse range of lung disorders characterised by inflammation and scarring of lung tissue, leading to restrictive lung physiology and impaired gas exchange, with symptoms including progressive dyspnoea, cough, and hypoxia. COPD which ranks as the third leading cause of death globally, is characterised by chronic lung inflammation causing irreversible airflow obstruction, recurrent exacerbations. While recent advances in digital health have shown promise, predicting disease progression in patients with ILD and exacerbation in patients with COPD remains challenging. This review explores the role of digital health in managing ILD and COPD, particularly focusing on telehealth and digital health technologies. Telehealth, defined broadly as the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies in healthcare, has become increasingly relevant, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review examines the role of digital health technologies in the management of ILD and COPD, with particular focus on telemedicine, and digital health tools. Remote monitoring technologies, including home spirometry and wearable devices, have demonstrated feasibility in managing respiratory diseases. However, challenges such as evidence, data reliability, varying adherence, education, and the high costs of data collection and lack of qualified clinicians present barriers for many national health systems.