Clinical Provider Perspectives on Remote Spirometry and mHealth for COPD
Date
2025-11-13
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nursing Reports
Abstract
Background/Objectives: COPD is a leading cause of death in the US, with higher morbidity and mortality in rural areas that lack specialized pulmonary care. Mobile health (mHealth) tools, including remote spirometry, may fill this gap, yet healthcare provider (HCP) perspectives on utility and implementation of remote spirometry and mHealth for COPD management in these settings remain unexplored. This study aimed to examine HCPs’ perspectives of mHealth with remote spirometry to inform future implementation in
rural and low medical access settings. Methods: Five HCPs working in rural or medically limited settings in South Carolina participated in a deliberative discussion focus group. A semi-structured interview guide was used to explore insights into feasibility, clinical utility, and implementation needs. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify facilitators, barriers, and implementation considerations. Results: Participants reported that remote spirometry and mHealth had potential to support COPD treatment, increase healthcare access, and support self-management. Key facilitators identified were access to smartphones, potential for individualized COPD care, and visual tools for patient engagement. Barriers included risk of time and workload burden, data information overload, and technological limitations. Participants emphasized the need for team training, thoughtful integration into existing workflows, customizable data displays, and robust support for patient onboarding. Conclusions: Providers viewed mHealth applications with remote spirometry as a valuable tool with potential to improve COPD care but identified critical implementation needs. Participants emphasized that successful integration would require
structured support, user-centered design, and attention to reimbursement and workflow alignment to enhance sustainability and patient/provider engagement.
Description
This article was originally published in Nursing Reports. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15110402
Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords
remote spirometry, mobile health, digital health, smartphone application, remote patient monitoring, healthcare providers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, qualitative research, implementation science
Citation
McCabe S, Madiraca J, Cole L, Morgan E, Fowler T, Smith W, O’Connor Durham C, Lindell K, Miller S. Clinical Provider Perspectives on Remote Spirometry and mHealth for COPD. Nursing Reports. 2025; 15(11):402. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15110402