Home breathing-muscle training after severe COPD flare-up
Tests home breathing-muscle training in adults recovering from a severe COPD flare-up.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Effect of IMT in Patients After Acute Exacerbations of COPD
Key facts
- Where
- Aalst, Anderlecht, Brussels, Charleroi, Edegem, Ghent, Kortrijk, Leuven, Liège, Roeselare, and Yvoir, BelgiumSee the 12 sites
Where in Belgium
- AZORGAalst, BelgiumTaking people
- Campus Joseph Bracops, Hôpitaux Iris SudAnderlecht, BelgiumTaking people
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint-PierreBrussels, BelgiumTaking people
- Grand Hopial de CharleroiCharleroi, BelgiumTaking people
- Universitair Ziekenhuis AntwerpenEdegem, BelgiumNot yet recruiting
- AZ Maria MiddelaresGhent, BelgiumTaking people
- Universitair Ziekenhuis GentGhent, BelgiumTaking people
- AZ GroeningeKortrijk, BelgiumTaking people
- University Hospitals LeuvenLeuven, BelgiumTaking people
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de LiègeLiège, BelgiumTaking people
- AZ DeltaRoeselare, BelgiumTaking people
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire UCL NamurYvoir, BelgiumTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- KU Leuven
- Trial code
- NCT07213128
- Record updated
- 28 May 2026
- Original description
The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether home-based inspiratory muscle training can reduce hospital readmissions and death in patients recovering from a severe acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).Read full original descriptionShow less
The Effect of Home-based Inspiratory Muscle Training Compared to Usual Care on Readmission Rate in Patients After a Severe Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: a Randomised, Multicentre, Parallel Group Clinical Trial: IN-SPIRED Trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether home-based inspiratory muscle training can reduce hospital readmissions and death in patients recovering from a severe acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).
The main questions this study aims to answer are:
Does adding home-based inspiratory muscle training to usual care lower the risk of all-cause hospital readmission or death within 180 days after discharge? Does inspiratory muscle training improve respiratory muscle strength, symptoms of dyspnea, quality of life, and functional capacity compared to usual care?
Researchers will compare patients randomized to:
Intervention group: Home-based inspiratory muscle training plus usual care Control group: Usual care only
to see if inspiratory muscle training leads to fewer readmissions and deaths, and better patient-reported and physiological outcomes.
Participants will:
Be hospitalized for ≥3 days due to AECOPD, age ≥35 years, able to consent, and own a compatible smartphone.
In the intervention group, receives usual care and additionally inspiratory muscle training:
Inspiratory muscle training twice daily for 90 days, then once daily up to day 180, with remote telemonitoring via a smartphone app and online supervised sessions.
The control group will continue with usual care (pharmacological treatment, smoking cessation advice, vaccinations, and referral to pulmonary rehabilitation if available).
Follow-up assessments will include hospital readmissions, survival, and quality of life questionnaires up to 12 months after discharge.
Inclusion: Patients admitted to the hospital ≥3 days for AECOPD; Read and speak French, Dutch or English; Age ≥ 35 years; Able to provide informed consent; Possessing a smartphone, compatible with the tele-monitoring app and able to perform video meetings.
Exclusion: Waitlisted for lung transplantation; Non-COPD pulmonary disease as primary diagnosis; Active malignancy; Inability to perform IMT or response to questionnaires (e.g., neurological/cognitive impairment); Acute instable cardiac arrythmia or ischemia; Patients already performing IMT at time of inclusion; Patients with estimated <90 days life expectancy; Acute pneumothorax; Planned lung volume reduction procedure <180days; Patients admitted to an in-hospital rehabilitation ward; Patients included in other interventional trial related to COPD that would interfere with our trial outcomes.