Speakers
Description
Background: Self-management of COPD has been associated with improved quality of life and decreased hospitalization. My Lung Health Coach is a virtual self-management program delivered by a Certified Respiratory Educator at the Lung Health Foundation. Prior work involved co-designing and implementing of an Epic-integrated Care Companion application to support virtual care delivery and digital self-management within clinical workflow. This work was informed by the RNAO Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) People-Centred Care and Clinical Practice in a Digital Health Environment through its emphasis on accessibility, patient partnership, and technology-enabled care.
The aim of this quality improvement initiative was to increase utilization of the MLHC Care Companion app from 0% to 30% by June 2026.
Methods/Implementation Approach: An interprofessional team including clinical, quality improvement, digital health, and community partners collaborated to support implementation using the Knowledge to Action Framework (KTA) and patient-informed co-design approaches. Consistent with the RNAO BPG People-Centred Care, patients with lived and living experience informed iterative development of the application. Utilization data identified barriers including application usability and task accessibility challenges. In alignment with the RNAO BPG Clinical Practice in a Digital Health Environment, implementation strategies prioritized accessibility, patient engagement, individualized support, and technology-enabled care delivery. Targeted interventions included revised onboarding materials, reminder calls, technical support, removal of task gatekeeping features, and reinforcement by care providers. Patient feedback informed iterative adaptations throughout implementation.
Results: To date, 54 patients have been referred, 25 consented to participate, and 18 completed or are actively participating in the program. Following implementation changes, task access increased from 42.2% to 72.1% and task completion increased from 26.3% to 36.9%.
Lessons: Removing barriers improved utilization and supported more equitable and person-centred participation in digital self-management. Findings highlight the importance of patient-informed digital implementation strategies, interprofessional collaboration, and adaptable virtual care supports to enhance chronic disease self-management.
What RNAO BPG or tool/toolkit is your abstract related to?
• People-Centred Care
• Clinical Practice in a Digital Health Environment
Author(s) Credentials and Title
• Andrew Kouri, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Women's College Hospital, University of Toronto
• Chandra Farrer, PT, University of Toronto, Women's College Hospital
• Epic Clinical Applications Team: Daryl Manankil, Team Lead IM/IT, Women's College Hospital
• Kinza Ahmed, Research Assistant, Women's College Hospital
• Safiya Tohob, Quality Specialist, Women's College Hospital
• Community partner: Laura Bifolchi, RN, CRE, Lung Health Coach, Lung Health Foundation
| Organization Name | Women's College Hospital |
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