Outcomes of a Web-based patient education program for asthmatic children and adolescents

Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children in Germany. Approaches to reduce the burden of asthma include patient education to improve self-management skills.

We determined whether a continuous Internet-based education program (IEP) as an add-on to a standardized patient management program (SPMP) improves health outcomes of asthma patients at a favorable benefit-cost ratio.

A total of 438 asthmatic patients aged 8 to 16 years in 36 study centers were enrolled during a 6-month period. We performed a prospective cost-benefit analysis alongside a nonrandomized trial. At baseline and at 6 months and 12 months, health service utilization data were collected.

Study participants were assigned to a control group and two intervention groups. Patients in both intervention groups participated in an SPMP. Additionally, patients in one intervention group received the IEP.

Utilization of various health-care services decreased significantly in both intervention groups. From a payer perspective, the benefit-cost ratio of the traditional education program was 0.55. Adding the IEP improved the ratio (0.79). For patients with moderate or severe asthma, the benefit-cost ratios were 1.07 and 1.42 (with IEP), respectively.

The IEP offers the potential to decrease the burden of disease and to realize incremental morbidity cost savings. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that within 1 year, the savings exceed the intervention costs in patients with moderate or severe asthma.