Exploring Treatment Options for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) represents the third leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide. Conventional approaches to treatment include medicines, often presenting themselves with undesirable side effects, and surgery, which has proven to be risky and invasive for the patient. While these conventional approaches are on the frontline when it comes to battling COPD, complementary therapies, such as yoga, tai chi, meditation, and a device called the lung flute, have shown promise. With hopes of adding to the arsenal of complementary therapies, a local entrepreneur in Wilmington, North Carolina developed the Easy Breather Exercise Table (EBET), a rocking bed designed to facilitate breathing in patients with COPD. The inventor contacted The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) looking for the academic rigor to see a device through the clinical trials process. Subsequently, an interdisciplinary group of faculty and student researchers was formed. In addition to beginning a feasibility and usability study on the device, the group began a nationwide survey targeting COPD patients in an effort to learn more about their current treatment regimens and lifestyles. This poster will elaborate on the concepts behind the EBET, as well as explain the methods used to carry out the feasibility and usability study as well as the survey.
