Five Interesting Things on Digital Health in Asthma
- Colin Pfeiffer
- Apr 22, 2020
- 2 min read
Impact of a digital health intervention on asthma resource utilization
Summary: 224 patients with asthma utilized an electronic medication monitoring (EMM) system. The system was attached to a rescue inhaler and tracked date, time, and number of puffs taken by the patients. Data was viewable on a web application by both patients and their providers. The EMM system reduced asthma-related emergency department visits by 6.0 instances as compared to the patient’s previous year (p = 0.04).
Cost-effectiveness of Internet-based self-management compared with usual care in asthma.
Summary: A Dutch study found an Internet-based asthma self-management program improved asthma symptoms, number of symptom-free days, and baseline FEV1. However, calculated QALYs did not statistically differ between the Internet and usual care groups. At $50000 per QALY, the probability of the digital self-management being cost-effective was 62% from a societal perspective. Digital intervention costs were found to be similar to existing asthma care regimens.
Improving parental adherence with asthma treatment guidelines: a randomized controlled trial of an interactive website
Summary: Parents of children diagnosed with asthma were targeted in a randomized controlled trial, comprising of 603 families. For 6 months, one group of parents were assigned to use a website tracking their child’s symptoms and controller inhaler adherence. The website used parent-reported data to assess the child’s asthma severity and symptom control, then gave feedback and advice to the parents. The control group instead received a media-reduction intervention. After 6 months, active group controller adherence trended towards significance, but did not reach statistical significance compared to control. Active group adherence = 72%, control group = 62%, p = 0.10, OR = 1.54
The Detroit Young Adult Asthma Project: Pilot of a Technology-Based Medication Adherence Intervention for African-American Emerging Adults
Summary: 49 African Americans with asthma, all age 18-29, first recorded their baseline asthma symptoms and medication for 7 days. A brief motivational interviewing intervention targeting daily asthma medication was then given. For 30 days afterwards, half the group received daily text messages reminding them to use their inhaler, while the other half received a daily asthma. No participants opted out of daily messages during the 30 day period. At follow-up 3 months later, the intervention group saw greater symptom control and fewer daily symptoms (p < 0.05). However, both groups reported an increase in number of missed inhaler doses at the follow-up assessment.
Effect of a mobile health, sensor-driven asthma management platform on asthma control
Summary: 95 Kentucky residents used an electronic sensor connected to a short-acting β-agonist (SABA) metered dose inhaler. The sensor recorded time and location of SABA use and the data was stored on a smartphone app. Patients had continuous access to their own data. After a 30 days period to establish baseline asthma control, SABA use, and symptom-free days, participants could use the sensor/app combination for up to a year. At the end of the 12 month study period, symptom-free days rose from 77% of days to 95% of days (p < 0.05). Each individual month of the study saw participants use their SABA less often than in the baseline month (p < 0.01).
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