Feasibility Study of Telerehabilitation for People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Nuuk

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a major global health issue. It can make people ill, impact their quality of life, and increase their use of healthcare services. In some parts of Greenland, it can be particularly challenging to manage COPD due to the distance to healthcare assistants, nurses, or doctors. Telerehabilitation, which allows people to receive treatment online, could be a good solution.

This project aims to explore how we can best support COPD patients in Nuuk through an online rehabilitation program. The program functions as a pilot study, where we examine how it can be adapted and scaled across Greenland and to patients with other conditions. We will assess how well the program meets patients' needs and determine what adjustments are necessary to improve it.

The study will include 10 individuals with COPD living in Nuuk. They will receive training materials and have an initial meeting with a physiotherapist to set goals. For 10 weeks, they will participate in online training sessions twice a week. Through their feedback, we hope to identify ways to make the program more effective and tailored.

Before the training program begins, participants will have various health metrics measured, complete a questionnaire, and perform a physical test. This will be repeated after the training program is completed to assess any changes in the participants.

We hope that the results will provide insights into improving the treatment of COPD patients and guide necessary adjustments for future rollout across Greenland and to other disease groups. All participants will provide consent for their involvement, and their data will be treated anonymously.