Modernisation of chronic respiratory disease management: The integration of wearable technology.

Chronic respiratory diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Asthma, Interstitial Lung Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, and Pulmonary Hypertension affect over 500 million people globally and pose significant challenges for diagnosis, management, and long-term care. Traditional approaches often rely on episodic clinical assessments and patient-reported symptoms, which fail to capture the dynamic nature of respiratory health. The integration of wearable technology offers a transformative solution, enabling continuous, real-time monitoring of physiological and behavioural parameters. This review explores the evolving role of wearable devices, including activity trackers, smartwatches, spirometers, and biosensors, in modernising chronic respiratory disease management. Evidence across disease domains demonstrates that wearables can enhance physical activity, predict exacerbations, support remote rehabilitation, and facilitate personalised care. In Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, step counters and biometric sensors have shown improvements in activity levels and early exacerbation detection. Asthma care benefits from AI-driven platforms that integrate environmental and physiological data to optimise treatment. For Interstitial lung disease and Cystic fibrosis, home spirometry and sweat biomarker monitoring empower patients and improve disease tracking. In Pulmonary hypertension, wearables provide insights into activity and sleep patterns, complementing traditional assessments. Despite promising outcomes, barriers remain. Technical limitations, data reliability, digital literacy, privacy concerns, and integration into clinical workflows hinder widespread adoption. Economic and equity considerations further challenge scalability, particularly in low-resource settings. Looking forward, the convergence of multimodal sensing, AI analytics, and digital therapeutics will enable proactive, personalised, and equitable respiratory care. Addressing validation, interoperability, and ethical governance will be critical to realising the full potential of wearable technology in CRD management.