The longer I work with those facing chronic and life-threatening illness the more amazed I am at the growth in technology and treatment options. One of the great things is the ability to take something that is out on the market and find new applications for its use. By finding new applications you save lots of time in the creation of a treatment modality and refinement becomes the priority.
As you may have read in an earlier article I attended a conference on COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). While walking through the exhibits area I met Jasti Salem the clinical area manager for Electromed Inc.-SmartVest. We began talking about the SmartVest for its use with COPD patients.
The SmartVest is a vest that vibrates and as it vibrates it loosens the mucus that is built up in the lungs, obstructing the airways. This treatment has been used for a quite a while for patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Usually the patient wears the vest twice a day for about 30 minutes. Jasti showed me the research study showing the positive results for patients with COPD. The vest is light weight and washable.
It’s this type of collaboration and thinking outside the box that works in the patient’s favor. By taking technology that already exists and adding new features that not only increase the efficacy of the treatment but the comfort for the patient is important. When treatment is comfortable and easy you’re more likely to be compliant with your treatment plan and gain big results. This leads to an increase in self-empowerment. It allows you to increase your quality of life. When you increase your quality of life you become more optimistic and optimism is a key player in the mind-body connection.
Pilgrim Pathway/Surviving Strong 