New digital COPD programme launches across North West London

Six primary care networks will offer patients an AI app from Aide Health to help them manage their medication and symptoms between appointments.

People living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) across North West London will be offered daily AI-powered support to help them manage their health at home.

The six-month programme, which begins this month, will introduce Aide Health’s app across six primary care networks (PCNs): Celandine Health and MetroCare PCN, North Connect PCN, NeoHealth PCN, Regent Health PCN, St John’s Wood and Maida Vale PCN and Westminster Living Well PCN.

Patients will be able to use the app to receive medication reminders, keep track of their symptoms and learn more about their condition between appointments. Clinical teams will also be able to identify patients who may need additional support.

The rollout is Aide Health’s largest NHS deployment to date. It is funded by NHS West and North London Integrated Care Board through the national Respiratory Pathway Transformation Fund, with support from Imperial College Health Partners (ICHP) – the Health Innovation Network for North West London.

The app will support patients before and after their COPD OPTIMISE reviews, during which primary care teams assess their condition, medication and care needs.

Hannah Fontana,Associate Director of Strategy and Insights at ICHP, said:

“Supporting people with COPD to manage their condition confidently between appointments is an important part of improving respiratory care and helping to prevent avoidable deterioration.

“This programme will explore how technology can complement the work of primary care teams, reinforce the advice given during COPD reviews and provide clinicians with greater insight into patients’ symptoms and medication use. It will also help us better understand how digital self-management support can be delivered effectively on a larger scale.

As the Health Innovation Network for North West London, we are committed to identifying, testing and scaling innovations that have the potential to improve outcomes, experience and efficiency across the health and care system.”

Patients will be invited to join the programme by their GP practice. Aide then uses safe, medically-validated artificial intelligence to have short conversations that help enhance care between clinic visits.

Practices can view information on symptoms, MRC Dyspnoea scale and COPD Assessment Test scores, medication use, missed doses, and patient engagement at both the patient and population level.

Dr Samantha Kon, Consultant Chest Physician and Director of Research and Innovation, The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust added:

“This exciting pilot in North West London explores how digital tools can further integrate COPD care. We will evaluate how patient-facing AI technology can empower patients to self-manage their COPD, while giving clinical teams valuable insights to deliver proactive care.”

Aide Health launched in 2021 and is available to over 250,000 patients in NHS England, providing support for nine chronic conditions. Its COPD service is already being used in Cheshire and Suffolk.

Figures from its existing deployments show Aide achieves an average medication adherence rate of over 70%, with patients using the app daily for nearly four years. Aide Health estimates that its technology can save over 300 hours of clinical time each year for every 1,000 respiratory patients supported.

People currently using Aide’s COPD service have an average age of 70 and a high degree of polypharmacy, taking an average of 6.5 different medicines, suggesting that older people managing complex treatment can use the app successfully.

Ian Wharton, Founder and CEO at Aide Health said:

“COPD remains one of the most common causes of emergency admission in England. Much of that demand comes from exacerbations that could have been caught earlier. We’re excited to be working with ICHP and primary care networks across West and North London to demonstrate how safe, patient-facing AI can strengthen COPD care on a larger scale.”