Veteran Affairs

Our team of patient advocates, respiratory therapists and nurses are dedicated to helping veterans with COPD and other chronic respiratory conditions breathe easier.

Treating chronic respiratory symptoms and still struggling?

Chronic productive cough? Repeated antibiotic use for chest infections? Multiple hospitalizations for respiratory conditions?

If you’re experiencing these symptoms and effects, vest therapy might be right for you.

Philips InCourage vest therapy is designed for simple, safe and effective airway secretion clearance for Veterans with a wide range of chronic respiratory conditions. It works by creating rapid, but gentle compressions to the chest through an inflatable vest or band that’s attached to an air pulse generator. The system’s vibrations help loosen, thin and move mucus through the lungs and out of airways.

In a registry study of RespirTech patients confirmed with COPD, patients reported after one year of vest therapy with the InCourage system¹:

Yearly rate of hospitalization dropped

52%

Ability to clear lungs

Good-excellent rating increased

55%

Respiratory health

Good-excellent rating increased

36%

InCourage vest therapy is designed to help those affected by:

Chronic bronchitis
Symptomatic COPD
Bronchiectasis
Acute and chronic lung injuries
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Spinal cord injury
Neuromuscular conditions
Post-surgical airway clearance needs

Better clearance—Research has shown triangular waveform technology helps clear up to 20% more mucus than competing technology.²

We’re here to help, every step of the way.

RespirTech is here to help make starting, continuing with and seeing results from therapy as easy as possible through individualized support to each Veteran:

A customer care team member is assigned to each patient to assist them in navigating the process and provides continuity in service
Licensed RTs and RNs provide in-home device training and education
RespirTech representatives provide ongoing patient follow-up and support through our VA Outcomes program, encouraging adherence to prescribed therapies

I had been coughing up stuff from my lungs, there was a rattle in my breathing [and] I had a couple bouts of pneumonia. A month after starting [InCourage vest therapy], my lungs cleared rather suddenly with no more rattle.”*

— Steven, a Veteran Affairs patient

*Individual patient results may vary

Complete this form to receive your InCourage information kit

VA patients often qualify to receive the InCourage system to help treat their chronic respiratory conditions. Simply fill out the inquiry form below to receive an informational packet about vest therapy. You can share this information with your doctor to find out if you are a candidate for the InCourage system.

References

1. Methodology: Phone surveys at regular intervals with COPD patients using the InCourage system, as part of a subset of the overall RespirTech bronchiectasis outcomes registry. Data collection began in 2013. As of 11/31/18, 154 patients completed the baseline survey; 108 patients in 1-month cohort; 89 in 3-month cohort; 70 in 6-month cohort; 43 in 12-month cohort.

2. Milla CE, Hansen LG, Weber A, Warwick WJ. High-Frequency chest compression: effect of the third generation compression waveform. Biomed Instrum Technol 2004; 38:322-328. Note: 8 CF patient study comparing triangular vs. sine waveform technology.