Grant: CIHR Fellowship - PA: Patient Oriented Research - Indigenous Health Research

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease that makes breathing difficult, and it gets worse over time. Many people with COPD need to go to the hospital when their symptoms flare up, which can affect their quality of life. First Nations people in Canada are more likely to develop COPD than non-Indigenous Canadians, and it's often more difficult for them to manage the disease due to challenges like financial stress, poor housing, and difficulty accessing healthcare. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) systems can help by tracking symptoms and body data like breathing rate and oxygen levels. This allows healthcare workers to step in quickly when needed, reducing the need for hospital visits. For people living in rural or remote First Nations communities, this could mean they won't have to travel long distances for care and can stay in a place where they feel comfortable and supported. In this study, we will work with First Nations people in northern British Columbia to see how useful RPM can be for managing COPD. People with COPD will wear sensors to monitor their health and answer weekly questions about how they are feeling over six months. We will track how many hospital visits they have compared to the year before using RPM. We will also ask participants and healthcare providers for their thoughts on how easy the system is to use, whether it fits their lifestyle and cultural needs, and how well it works in rural areas. The results will help us understand how to use technology to improve lung health in First Nations communities and support people in managing COPD.