Improvement in Asthma Control Using a Minimally Burdensome and Proactive Smartphone Application

Integrated chronic disease treatment models that enable patient self-care and shared treatment decision making have recently been shown to improve medication adherence and outcomes. Smartphone applications (apps) are a readily available means to enable this model, although sustained user engagement remains a challenge.

To assess the efficacy of improving asthma control using a proactive smartphone app without required regular inputs.

We designed a minimally intrusive smartphone app to provide individualized and timely support to patients with asthma based on the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines and Scripps management pathways. In this proof-of-concept study, we enrolled 60 adults with poorly controlled asthma to test the usability and effectiveness of this app over a 4-month period. The Asthma Control Test survey was used to assess control before, during, and after app use. As a corollary, a retrospective chart review was also used to assess changes in lung function and prescribed courses of systemic corticosteroids.

Our patients, with a mean age of 50 years, reported an improvement in Asthma Control Test scores from 16.6 (inadequate to poor) to 20.5 (controlled) over the study period. Concurrently, there was a 7.9% absolute increase in FEV1, while courses of systemic corticosteroids decreased from 0.5 to 0.3 courses per 6-month period. Fifty-eight of 60 patients completed the final survey, with high satisfaction reported.

This app improved asthma control in a cohort of patients with uncontrolled asthma (age range, 17-82 years), while minimizing burdensome inputs and proactively providing individualized teaching and treatment support. The app and treatment model are scalable to cost-effectively manage chronic disease.