Organised by The European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the European Lung Foundation (ELF) as part of their 2010 The Year of the Lung campaign, World Spirometry Day aims to promote spirometry as an easy and non invasive means of testing lung function.

Asthma and COPD patients use the HomePod to take spirometry measurements and send them instantly to a doctor or nurse. Patients can also communicate with the nurse about their condition receiving support, advice and encouragement.

Most importantly, if a patient seems to be getting worse, a clinician can intervene before it becomes dangerous - or even deadly.

It means that COPD and asthma patients can enjoy a massively improved quality of life; while provider organisations save costs by avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions, A&E attendances and home visits from the GP.

Jeremy Cummin, executive chairman of Telehealth Solutions, said: "Hundreds of millions of people across the world struggle each year for life and breath due to lung diseases like COPD and, shocking as it seems, more than 10 million die.

"We have dedicated our time and research to developing cutting edge telehealth technology that will encourage early detection and intervention of, amongst other things, COPD exacerbations. The HomePod offers COPD patients the chance to manage their condition more effectively at home and offers health professionals the chance to keep a closer eye on patients than ever before.

"Feedback from our award-winning pilot scheme on Isle of Bute off Scotland's West Coast was very positive, from both clinicians and patients, and within the first three weeks saved the first hospital admission. COPD patients also liked the machine because it gave them more control over their condition and gave reassurance of closer contact with their doctor than ever before.

"With COPD, detecting any deterioration in condition as early as possible is crucial to avoiding a serious exacerbation, and that's what the HomePod does well."

Related news articles:

• Telehealth Solutions' Profile

About Telehealth Solutions
Telehealth Solutions was founded in 2006 to bring the convergence of technology and changing clinical practice to the benefit of patients and clinicians. The company has grown rapidly and now has 20 employees who are dedicated to providing the most secure, scalable and robust methods for collecting information from patients, without the need for clinical intervention, and getting that information into the hands of the clinicians and carers who are looking after those patients.

Products in the THSL portfolio, which is explained in-depth on the firm's website www.thsl.co.uk, include:

• HomePod
• CardioPod
• SurgeryPod
• Check-in Pod
• CarePod

The Department of Health states that telehealth is the remote delivery of healthcare using electronic means of communication usually patient to clinician. For example, a patient measuring their vital signs at home and this data being transmitted via a telehealth monitor to a clinician. The principal benefits of telehealth are enabling great professional focus on patients, reducing anxiety, anticipating and, therefore, avoiding crisis admissions to hospital and improving medication compliance. The patient also becomes more informed about their daily health and is an active partner in their own healthcare. This use of technology is particularly good for remote and rural areas.