Sara Dunya F2017
The PEP flute is a tool used for treating lung patients. It loosens phlegm from the respiratory tract and clams down the breathing in case of dyspnoea, by giving a higher resistance on the expiration. The problem to be assessed in this project is that the PEP flute users have low compliance. In 2012 SDU’s laboratory for training technology created a system with an application and a sensor, which measured the pressure and collected data from expiration through the flute. It was made to solve the problem with low compliance, for which it was tested in Odense University Hospital (OUH). Within the test, some issues were discovered. In 2013 the project cooperated with ICURA, which eventually lead to the ICURA’s system in 2015. The new system contained newer technology and a better user interface. Unfortunately SDU does not have cooperation with ICURA anymore.
The focus of this project is to restore the SDU PEP flute project, rebuild knowledge about the subject and re-establish connections and interdisciplinary cooperation with the old project’s contacts. The focus is also to investigate; the users, experts and the therapists needs for a system that can increase compliance. Pi Ellebæk Knudsen has made a report about the SDU system 2012, as a result of the test on OUH. The report helped this project to specify the target audience to: patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) with knowledge of technology and a surplus of energy to participate. Patients with COPD are one of the largest groups that make use of the PEP flute, and a chronic group using the PEP flute the rest of their lives. However there is lack of evidence for the effect of PEP flute.
The project contains:
- A description of the PEP flute itself, the effects, the users and the COPD patients of the PEP flute.
- An analysis of the course of the low compliance together with analysis of the interactions between user and therapist, from the observations on hospitals, a rehabilitation centre and the test group’s homes.
- A selection of expert, therapist and user needs, as well as experience from earlier versions of the system in order to design and develop a new user interface.
- A verification and evaluation of the new system at a workshop with an expert, therapist, users and developers.
Within this project knowledge has been rebuild and noted, old connections been re-established and collected in a list of contacts. The interdisciplinary cooperation between experts, therapists and engineers has been achieved. This project resulted in a new system called SMART PEP, which has renewed sensor technology, Bluetooth communication, and a first draft of a new user interface.
The test group were positive in its opinion about the system and thinks that it can help increasing their compliance. This development gives the possibility to create evidence for effort and effect of the PEP flute.
