2. Baseline characteristics of study participants.
| Study ID | Concomitant treatments |
COPD severity |
Comorbidities, percentage, mean (SD), or median (IQR) |
Mean age, years |
Male or female |
Exacerbations in the last 12 months, mean |
Hospital admissions in the last 12 months, mean (SD) or median (IQR) |
| Remote monitoring plus usual care | |||||||
| Antoniades 2012 | NR | Moderate /severe |
NR | RM + UC = 68 UC = 70 |
males: 20/44 (45%); females: 24/44 (54%) | NR | RM + UC = median 2 (1 to 4); UC = median 1 (1 to 2) |
| Berkhof 2015 | Home oxygen | Severe | NR | 68 | males: 68/91 (75%); females: 23/91 (25%) | NR | NR |
| Ho 2016 | SABA LABA Anticholinergic ICS |
Mild /moderate |
RM + UC: CHD (23%), HF (26%), hypertension (53%), diabetes (21%) UC: CHD (17%), HF (25%), hypertension (62%), diabetes (19%) |
RM + UC = 84 UC = 79 |
males: 81/106 (76%); females: 25/106 (24%) | RM + UC = 19 UC = 17 |
RM + UC = 16 UC = 19 |
| Lewis 2010 | NR | Moderate/very severe | Known comorbidity: RM: 92%, UC: 88% | RM = 70 UC = 73 |
males: 20/40 (50%); females 20/40 (50%) | NR | RM = median 0 (0 to 1.0) UC = median 0 (0 to 0.8) |
| McDowell 2015 | Flu vaccine | GOLD stage II/III | HADS total Anxiety: RM: 8.3 ± 5.2; UC: 7.9 ± 4.3 Depression: RM: 6.8 ± 3.8; UC: 7.9 ± 3.9 |
69.8 RM and 70.2 UC | males: 48/110 (44%); females: 62/110 (56%) | NR | RM: 0.82 UC: 1.05 |
| Pinnock 2013 | NR | GOLD stage mild/moderate, severe, very severe | 1 or more comorbidities: RM: 61%; UC: 71%; HADS total Anxiety: RM: 9.8 ± 5.2; UC: 9.6 ± 4.6 Depression: RM: 8.9 ± 4.4; UC: 8.2 ± 4.1 |
69.4 RM and 68.4 UC | males: 116/256 (45%); females: 140/256 (55%) | NR | RM+UC = 2.3 UC = 2.5 |
| Shany 2016 | NR | GOLD stage severe | HADS total Anxiety: RM + UC: 7.8 ± 4.7; UC: 6.2 ± 4.0 Depression: RM + UC:6.0 ± 3.0; UC: 6.4 ± 4.5 |
RM + UC 72.1 UC = 74.2 |
males: 19/42 (45%); females: 23/42 (55%) | NR | RM+UC = 3 UC = 2.5 |
| Udsen 2017 | NR | GOLD stage I, II, III, IV | Diabetes: RM: 10%; UC: 9.8% CHD: RM: 33%; UC: 31% Mental health problems: RM: 4.8%; UC: 4.79% Musculoskeletal disorder: RM: 24.9%; UC: 29% Cancer: RM: 6%; UC: 4.79% |
RM = 69.6 UC = 70.3 |
males: 562/1225 (46%); females: 663/1225 (54%) | NR | NR |
| Vianello 2016 | LABA: RM 97.8% and UC 94.1% LAMA: RM 87.2% and UC 86.3% ICS: RM 83.5% and UC 76.9% Systemic steroid: RM: 6.5% and UC: 4.8% |
GOLD stage III, IV | HADS total: Anxiety: RM + UC: 4.68 ± 3.45; UC: 5.4 ± 3.35 Depression: RM + UC: 5.1 ± 4.42; UC: 5.48 ± 4.49 Hypertension: RM + UC: 61%; UC: 64% IHD: RM + UC:38.9%; UC: 35% |
RM + UC = 75.96 UC = 76.48 |
males: 240/334 (72%); females: 94/334 (28%) |
NR | NR |
| Walker 2018 | NR | GOLD stage I, II, III, IV | CHF: RM + UC: 12%; UC: 8% IHD: RM + UC: 25%; UC: 23% CHF + IHD: RM + UC: 12%; UC: 13% Hypertension: RM + UC: 72%; UC: 68% Osteoporosis: RM + UC: 17%; UC:15% Hyperlipidaemia: RM + UC: 53%; UC: 58% Number of comorbidities per person, median (IQR): RM + UC: 2.0 (1.0 to 3.0); UC: 2.0 (1.0 to 3.0) |
71 | males: 206/312 (62%); females: 106/312 (34%) | More than 1 exacerbation: RM + UC = 59% UC = 63% |
RM = 42% UC = 41% |
| Remote monitoring alone | |||||||
| Calvo 2014 | LAMA + LABA + ICS PDE4 inhibitors Mucolytics Theophylline Oral steroids |
Severe /very severe |
Charlson comorbidity index score: RM: 3.7 ± 1.4; UC:3.4 ± 2.1 | RM = 75 UC = 72.7 |
males: 44/59 (75%); 15/59 females (25%) | NR | RM = 1.7 UC = 1.9 |
| De San Miguel 2013 | Oxygen | NR | NR | RM = 71 UC = 74 |
males: 37/71 (52%); females: 34/71 (48%) | NR | NR |
| Jódar‐Sanchez 2013 | LTOT | Very severe | Adjusted Charlson comorbidity index score: RM: 6.6 ± 2.8; UC: 5.1 ± 2 10% in each group had anxiety/depression |
RM = 74 UC = 71 |
males: 43/45 (96%); females: 2/45 (4%) | NR | NR |
| Minguez 2017 | NR | NR (FEV₁ % = 50 and 51.1) | Charlson comorbidity index score: (median (IQR): RM: 4 (3 to 5); UC: 4.45 (3.6 to 6.2) |
RM = 68 UC = 70 | males: 77/111 (69%); females: 34/111 (31%) | NR | NR |
| Pedone 2013 | NR | GOLD stage II/III | NR | 74.1 RM and 75.4 UC | males: 36/50 and 31/49 (68%); females: 32/99 (32%) | NR | NR |
| Sink 2020 | NR | GOLD stage mild to very severe | NR | RM = 59.8 UC = 61.9 |
males: 61/168 (36%); females: 107/168 (64%) | NR | NR |
| Soriano 2018 | LABA (98%), LAMA (98%), ICS (94%), SAA (57%), PDE4 inhibitors (16%), theophylline (14%), oral steroids (4%), β2‐adrenergic receptor agonists (5%) | GOLD stage severe (stable) |
Charlson comorbidity index score: RM: 2.4 ± 1.5; UC: 2.4 ± 1.5 Goldberg anxiety: RM: 1.5 ± 2.3; UC: 1.8 ± 2.5 Goldberg depression: RM: 2.5 ± 2.4; UC: 2.9 ± 2.5 |
RM = 71.5 UC = 71.3 |
males: 184/229 (80%); females: 45/229 (20%) | NR | RM = 2 UC = 2 |
| Stamenova 2020 | NR | NR (FEV₁ % 50 and 45) |
RM group had lower rates of osteoporosis (P = 0.02), pulmonary hypertension compared to UC group (P = 0.04) | RM = 71.98 UC = 72.78 |
males: 44/81 (54%); females: 37/81 (46%) | MC = 2 UC = 1 |
MC = 0 UC = 0 |
| Multi‐component or integrated care (where remote monitoring, consultation, or both are components of care) | |||||||
| Bourbeau 2016 | Long‐acting anticholinergics LABA Long‐acting ICS |
GOLD stage III/IV |
Overall: severe anxiety (26.7%), severe depression (78.6%) (HADS); age‐adjusted Charlson comorbidity index score (4.2 ± 1.8); number of concomitant diseases: 3.5 ± 2.0 |
MC = 67.3 UC = 66.6 |
males: 222/319 (70%); females: 97/319 (30%) | 1.3 | MC = 20 UC = 19 |
| Casas 2006 | Influenza and Pneumococcal vaccination |
NR (FEV₁ % = 42) |
Goldberg score: MC: 8.5 ± 5.6; UC: 8.2 ± 5.9 Mean comorbidities: MC: 1.9 ± 1.4; UC: 1.8 ± 1.5 |
MC = 70 UC = 72 |
males: 129/155 (83%); females: 26/155 (17%) | NR | MC = 1 UC = 0.6 |
| Farmer 2017 | COPD medication (not described) |
Moderate /severe/very severe |
IG: 80.9%; SC: 83.9% had comorbidities including high blood pressure, osteoporosis, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, depression |
69.8 | males: 102/166 (61%); females: 64/166 (39%) | NR | NR |
| Jakobsen 2015 | Corticosteroid (prednisone) Antibiotics (amoxicillin, clavulanic acid) β₂‐agonists Anticholinergics Fenoterol Ipratropium bromide nebuliser O₂ therapy as needed Sedative levomepromazine as needed |
GOLD stage III/IV | NR | NR | males: 22/57 (39%); females: 35/57 (61%) | NR | NR |
| Koff 2009 | Flu vaccine | GOLD stage III/IV | NR | RM = 66.6 UC = 65 |
males: 19/40 (47%); females: 21/40 (53% | NR | RM = 0.55 UC = 0.6 |
| Ringbaek 2015 | Oral prednisolone Roflumilast ICS LAMA LABA |
GOLD stage severe and very severe | Charlson comorbidity index score: MC: 1.7 ± 1.49, UC: 1.96 ± 1.51 | MC = 69.8 UC = 69.4 |
males 130/281 (46%); females: 151/281 (54%) | NR | MC = 0.91 UC =. 1.22 |
| Ritchie 2016 | NR | NR | NR | MC = 63.8 UC = 63.4 |
males: 73/132 (55%); females: 59/132 (45%) | NR | NR |
| Rose 2018 | Inhaled bronchodilator Inhaled steroid Antihypertensive Influenza vaccine Pneumonia vaccine |
NR (FEV₁ % 43 and 45) | CVD: MC: 75%; UC: 76% Diabetes: MC: 18%; UC: 22% Depression: MC: 17%; UC: 20% Osteopenia and osteoporosis: MC: 30%; UC: 29% GORD: MC: 14%; UC: 12% Hypothyroidism: MC: 9%; UC: 9% Osteoarthritis: MC: 9%; UC: 9% CKD: MC: 7%; UC: 7% Anxiety: MC: 7%; UC: 7% OSA: MC: 5%; UC: 6% Lung cancer: MC: 6%; UC: 6% |
71 in both groups | males: 220/470 (47%); females: 250/470 (53%) | NR | MC = 1.3 UC = 1.4 |
| Sorknaes 2013 | NR | GOLD stage severe | Infection: MC: 52%; UC: 55%; HD: MC: 35%; UC: 36%; CVD: MC: 9%; UC: 8%; Depression: MC: 2%; UC: 2% Diabetes: MC: 1% to 4%; UC: 11% Osteoporosis: MC: 17%; UC: 19% Cancer: MC: 0%; UC: 1% |
MC = 71 UC = 72 | males: 104/266 (39%); females: 162/266 (61%) |
NR | MC = 2.75 UC = 2.64 |
| Tabak 2014 | NR | NR (FEV₁ % 50 and 36) |
NR | MC = 64.1 UC = 62.8 |
males: 12/24 (50%); females: 12/24 (50%) | NR | NR |
| Yan 2018 | NR | GOLD stage I, II, III, IV | NR | RM = 65.4 UC = 64.6 |
males: 152/240 (63%); females: 88/240 (37) | NR | NR |
CHF: chronic heart failure; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CVD: cerebrovascular disease; FEV₁: forced expiratory volume in one second; GOLD: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; GORD: gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease; HD: heart disease; HF: heart failure ICS: inhaled corticosteroid; IG: intervention group; IHD: Ischaemic heart disease; LABA: long‐acting beta‐agonist; LAMA: long‐acting muscarinic antagonist; LTOT: long‐term oxygen therapy; MC: multi‐component; NR: not reported; PDE4: phosphodiesterase 4; RM: remote monitoring; SABA: short‐acting beta‐agonist; SC: standard care; UC: usual care.