Long-term use of Electromed’s SmartVest Airway Clearance System reduces bronchiectasis-related exacerbations and improves patients’ quality of life, a recent study shows.

SmartVest’s long-term benefits were reported in the study, “Incidence of Bronchiectasis-Related Exacerbation Rates After High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) Treatment — A Longitudinal Outcome-Based Study.” The study was published in Respiratory Therapy: The Journal of Pulmonary Technique.

Bronchiectasis treatments include high-frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO), a method that delivers compression pulses to the chest wall within a range of selectable frequencies. By producing an alternating pulse that rapidly compresses and releases the chest wall, the SmartVest device promotes mucus release from the lungs’ walls, easing its elimination while clearing the airways.

Results of a previous study in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis showed that HFCWO therapy with the SmartVest system could significantly reduce bronchiectasis-related exacerbations. Also, it showed that the device could decrease the need for antibiotics to treat respiratory infections.

Another study showed that the health-related benefits of the SmartVest system could lead to a 60 percent reduction in related healthcare costs, providing patients a savings of up to $3,045 per year of use.

Supported by these findings, researchers evaluated the outcome of 39 bronchiectasis patients who followed SmartVest’s HFCWO therapy for 2.5 years.

The study showed that long-term use of the SmartVest was associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of bronchiectasis-related exacerbations. The patients showed a 42 percent decrease in hospitalizations, a 38 percent reduction in antibiotic use, and a 75 percent decrease in emergency department visits compared to prior to treatment.

Also, 68 percent of the participants reported significant improvements in their quality of life.

“This longitudinal study builds on previously published evidence and demonstrates that improved outcomes for bronchiectasis patients can be sustained 2.5 years after starting SmartVest treatment,” Kathleen Skarvan, president and CEO of Electromed, said in a press release.

“This is the first study of its kind, a longitudinal bronchiectasis outcomes-based study for HFCWO therapy, and these results continue to demonstrate the considerable potential of HFCWO to improve outcomes and quality of life in this population,” Skarvan added.

Last year, Electromed launched its SmartVest Connect wireless technology, developed to ease information access for healthcare teams and patients and to allow for more personalized care decisions.