Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective treatment for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, access to these\r\nservices is limited especially in rural and remote areas. Telerehabilitation has the potential to deliver pulmonary rehabilitation\r\nprograms to these communities. The aim of this study was threefold: to establish the technical feasibility of transmitting realtime\r\npulse oximetry data, determine the validity of remote measurements compared to conventional face-to-face measures, and\r\nevaluate the participants� perception of the usability of the technology. Thirty-seven healthy individuals participated in a single\r\nremote pulmonary rehabilitation exercise session, conducted using the eHAB telerehabilitation system. Validity was assessed by\r\ncomparing the participant�s oxygen saturation and heart rate with the data set received at the therapist�s remote location. There\r\nwas an 80% exact agreement between participant and therapist data sets. The mean absolute difference and Bland and Altman�s\r\nlimits of agreement fell within the minimum clinically important difference for both oxygen saturation and heart rate values.\r\nParticipants found the system easy to use and felt confident that they would be able to use it at home. Remote measurement of\r\npulse oximetry data for a pulmonary rehabilitation exercise session was feasible and valid when compared to conventional face-toface\r\nmethods.
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