Using Mobile Health Technology to Deliver a Community-Based Closed-Loop Management System for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients in Remote Areas of China: Development and Prospective Observational Study.

We designed and validated a feasible mHealth-based method to manage COPD in remote Chinese areas with limited medical resources. The proposed closed-loop care pathway was effective at the community level. Proper education and frequent communication with health care providers may encourage patients' acceptance and use of smartphones to support COPD self-management. In addition, WeChat might play an important role in improving patient compliance and psychological distress. Further research might explore the effect of such systems on a larger scale and at a higher evidence level.