Minnesota HealthSolutions Corporation (MHS) is teaming-up with Novu to develop a digitally-delivered program to motivate and monitor people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Delivered through the Novu platform, the program will help users complete pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) exercises at home; PR is considered an essential component of COPD care.

MHS had previously developed the protocol to safely allow PR in the patient home, and will work with Novu to deliver the program, which focuses on daily movement and monitoring patient health. COPD patients who exercise at even very low levels significantly lower their risk of hospital admission and mortality. In the next phase, it will be tested in controlled human study at the Mayo Clinic to determine its effectiveness at improving quality of life and increasing daily steps.

Novu’s program focuses on daily movement and monitoring patient health.“We believe that digital consumer tools can enable traditional protocols to work more efficiently in reaching patients, reducing hospital admissions and creating better outcomes,” said Ali Shirvani-Mahdavi, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Programs, at Novu. “We are excited to partner with MHS and Mayo in this effort.”

According to CDC figures, chronic lower respiratory diseases such as COPD are the third-leading cause of death in the United States. In 2010, COPD claimed the lives of 134,676 people and the total national medical costs attributable to COPD were estimated at $32.1 billion dollars annually. In 2011, 12.7 million US adults were estimated to have COPD.

Novu has managed to attract some serious capital for its platform – in April, the company has secured $20 million to propel its technology and product roadmap to support existing and new market opportunities.