The Effect of eHealth Interventions on Physical Activity in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Mini Review

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) is important for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). eHealth interventions may have the possibility to increase and maintain PA. The objective of this mini review is to provide an overview of research published from 2016 to 2018 about the effect of eHealth on PA in patients with COPD. Recent studies used phone calls, websites combined with monitoring devices and smartphone applications as eHealth interventions. These studies showed both positive and no effects of eHealth interventions on PA in patients with COPD. The effects seem to depend on the type of eHealth intervention. A multicomponent eHealth intervention including reinforcement, self-management, monitoring and exercise with phone calls, websites and pedometers may be useful for stimulating PA for short-term periods.