Ambulatory Management of Childhood Asthma Using a Novel Self-management Application

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Digital Health Interventions
• Asthma Management

Background:

• Pediatric ambulatory asthma control is often suboptimal, negatively impacting children's quality of life and leading to frequent emergency department (ED) and hospital admissions.
• Current asthma management strategies require enhancement to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare burdens.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of the electronic-AsthmaTracker (e-AT), a self-monitoring mobile application, on pediatric asthma control.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of e-AT in improving quality of life, reducing asthma exacerbations, and decreasing oral corticosteroid (OCS) use in children with asthma.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 327 children and parents using the e-AT application weekly for one year.
• Analyses included longitudinal changes in child and parent outcomes, and comparisons of emergency visits, hospital admissions, and OCS use pre- and post-intervention, as well as against matched controls.

Main Results:

• High adherence (65%) to e-AT was observed at 12 months, with significant improvements in quality of life and asthma control.
• Participants experienced reduced emergency department and hospital admissions (RR: 0.41-0.68) and decreased OCS use (RR: 0.65-0.74) compared to baseline and matched controls.
• Parent satisfaction with the e-AT system remained high throughout the study period.

Conclusions:

• The electronic-AsthmaTracker (e-AT) facilitates sustained self-monitoring in pediatric patients, leading to significant improvements in asthma control and overall health outcomes.
• This digital care model demonstrates potential for broad dissemination to enhance ambulatory asthma care for children.