Validation of ACCESS: an automated tool to support self-management of COPD exacerbations.

Background: To support patients with COPD in their self-management of symptom worsening, we developed Adaptive Computerized COPD Exacerbation Self-management Support (ACCESS), an innovative software application that provides automated treatment advice without the interference of a health care professional. Exacerbation detection is based on 12 symptom-related yes-or-no questions and the measurement of peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV), and body temperature. Automated treatment advice is based on a decision model built by clinical expert panel opinion and Bayesian network modeling.