Development and Evaluation of an Automated, Home-Based, Electronic Questionnaire for Detecting COPD Exacerbations.

Collaboration between patients and their medical and technical experts enabled the development of an automated questionnaire for the early detection of COPD exacerbations (AQCE). The questionnaire consisted of fourteen questions and was implemented on a computer system for use by patients at home in an un-supervised environment. Psychometric evaluation was conducted after a 6-month field trial.

Computerized analysis of respiratory sounds during COPD exacerbations.

Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is a major event in the natural course of the disease, and is associated with significant mortality and socioeconomic impact. Abnormal respiratory sounds are commonly present in patients with AECOPD. Computerized analysis of these sounds can assist in diagnosis and in evaluation during follow-up.

Computer-aided diagnosis of pneumonia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Early diagnosis of pneumonia and discrimination between this disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations in patients with COPD are crucial for optimal clinical management and treatment.

Objectives: To examine the use of computerized analysis of respiratory sounds, a hybrid system based on principal component analysis (PCA) and probabilistic neural networks (PNNs), to aid the detection of coexisting pneumonia in patients with COPD.

Methods And Materials: A convenience sample of 58 patients with COPD (25 patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia and 33 owing to acute exacerbation of COPD) was studied.