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Background: The symptom of dyspnea is commonly encountered in patients with underlying serious illness and can lead to distress and poor quality of life. In patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), the prevalence is reported in up to 95% of patients. With the growth in sensor technologies, continuous monitoring of respiratory metrics provides an opportunity to better understand the relationship between patient-reported dyspnea and objective respiratory measures.

Aims: To assess the feasibility of implementing a radio-frequency (RF) sensor in patients with COPD and describe the relationship between dyspnea and respiratory metrics in patients with COPD when compared to healthy controls.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted to collect data on dyspnea scores and respiratory metrics in patients with COPD and healthy controls while conducting a walking test using a wearable RF sensor.

Results: Of the 12 COPD patients and 15 healthy controls recruited, all participants completed the modified incremental shuttle walking test while wearing the RF sensor; there was no attrition. For every one-point increase in the dyspnea score, there was a mean 1.94 increase in the respiratory rate per minute in the COPD group as compared to a 1.09 increase in respiratory rate in the healthy control group.

Conclusion: Preliminary data demonstrate the potential of using the RF sensors to track respiratory metrics in COPD patients and healthy adults. As this technology develops, it shows considerable promise and could provide significant implications regarding the use of non-invasive continuous monitoring for patients with lung disease.