Project Description (ver versão em português)

AIRDOC: Smart Mobile Application for Individualized Support and Monitoring of the Respiratory Function and Sounds of Chronic Obstructive Patients

AIRDOC is a mobile health (mHealth) project that aims to develop new tools and technological solutions for the monitoring and self-management of chronic obstructive respiratory diseases using smartphones and integrated sensors with the goal of improving health care in this area.

he project is financed by the Norte2020 (Portugal2020) and promoted by MEDIDA – Serviços de Medicina, Educação, Investigação, Desenvolvimento e Avaliação, Lda. and co-promoted by CINTESIS/FMUP (University of Porto) and the School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto (ISEP).

Abstract

AIRDOC aims to develop, integrate and validate a set of information and communication technologies (ICT) of mobile health (mHealth) for remote monitoring and individualized support (coaching) of patients with chronic obstructive respiratory diseases (CORD), using only the smartphone and their embedded sensors. Current tools for CORD self-monitoring and self-managing are complex, unattractive, not individualized and require laborious analysis by health professionals, discouraging their use and healthcare integration. A clear opportunity exist for a new market of economic and rapidly disseminated advanced technological solutions directed to patients and attractive to different stakeholders. The strategy of AIRDOC is to develop and integrate self-monitoring and self-managing tools, making use of the smartphones presence in everyday life, their embedded sensors (e.g., microphone) and their processing and communication abilities.

AIRDOC intends to contribute to the digital health industry and to innovate on:

  1. the technologies of remote monitoring of respiratory function and computerized lung auscultation;
  2. coaching solutions, integrating psychoeducation, gamification and disease management support systems;
  3. management of personal health data, focusing on security, privacy and interoperability. AIRDOC results will have a large impact on the innovation of CORD healthcare, with increased patient involvement and empowerment, providing quality prospective information for better therapeutic decisions and making healthcare more efficient and sustainable.

AIRDOC is therefore strongly aligned with the priorities of the Smart Specialization Domains of the North region of Portugal and of the challenges of Horizon 2020. The Consortium (MEDIDA, GECAD and CINTESIS) has complementary experience in health, ICT, mHealth, coaching methodologies and data management and analysis, which is paramount to conduct with success this high-potential project.

Funding Institution

NORTE 2020 (Portugal 2020)

Global Budget

638.023,79 euros

MEDIDA Budget

292.752,55 euros

Reference

NORTE-01-0247-FEDER-033275

MEDIDA researchers involved

João Fonseca (Investigador Principal), Susana Caldas Fonseca, Tiago Jacinto, Mariana Pereira,  José Valente, Magna Correia, Rafael Almeida