Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are pulmonary diseases that can be characterized by the hindrance of normal lung function and constitute the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Although pulmonary function tests provide an effective means for diagnosing and assessing the severity of CRDs, the burdens associated with receiving comprehensive care complicate the extent to which patients recognize relief. Recent studies suggest that breathing exercises (BE) constitute an essential part of comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation and aid in improving the overall quality of life. Our objective was to enable CRD patients to more effectively manage their conditions by developing a mobile application that encourages frequent recognition of health metric changes and guides the user towards making effective choices about how to respond to their own needs. This inspired us to utilize the iOS development platform to create an engaging user interface that provides users with effortless symptom tracking, comprehensive growth visualization, and an interactive Breathing Therapy Suite that reinforces recognition of breathing quality, teaches better breathing habits, and provides increasing satisfaction as it is used throughout the day. The current version of our mobile application is under review for the iOS App Store and employs a tab-based design, comprising a Care Plan, Therapies, Charts, and Me page. Future efforts entail further developing the utility of each of these pages, while adding new functionalities and as we learn more about our users’ needs.

The group would like to thank their faculty sponsor Dr. Gary Bledsoe for their support of this project.