The effect of mobile application-based exercise programs on quality of life and dyspnea levels of COPD patients

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of exercise programs performed through the mobile application on quality of life and dyspnea level of COPD patients with. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted semi-experimentally between October 2019 and June 2021. The population of the study consisted of COPD patients who applied to the Chest Diseases Units of the State Hospitals located in the city center of Ordu. The sample consisted of 76 patients including 38 in the experimental group and 38 in the control group. Patient Information Form and SGRQ were used in both groups during the pretest to collect data. Only the mobile application developed for the experimental group patients was installed on their phones and they were followed for 10 weeks. The pretest was repeated with the posttest. Results: In the study, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest measurements in the mMrc dyspnea scale, Mborg dyspnea scale and SGRQ test results in the experimental group (p<0.05). A statistically significant difference was observed only in the sit-to-stand test results of the control group in the pretest-posttest measurements (p<0.05). No significant difference was determined between the posttest measurements of the control and experimental groups, except for the Borg dyspnea scale (p>0.05). Conclusion: It was found that the exercise programs performed through the mobile application had a positive effect on quality of life and dyspnea levels of COPD patients. Keywords: COPD, Dyspnea, Quality of Life, Telerehabilitation.