Using a Systems Engineering Approach to Design an Interactive Mobile Health Application for Improving Asthma Self-management

Mobile health applications are in demand. According to the Grand Review Research group, there were US $12.4 billion in mobile health app sales in 2018. Increasingly, providers are seeking new ways to engage their pediatric patients. One approach is through mobile health apps. Nearly 10 000 mobile health apps target youth and teens, especially for children with conditions that require complex treatment and self-management. One such chronic illness is asthma. Children with asthma who lack social support are particularly vulnerable to exacerbations because they often are not focused on self-care. For this reason, successful asthma programs for children engage family members, encouraging them to play an active role on the healthcare team. The Just-in-Time Asthma Self-management Intervention is unique in several ways compared to other asthma management mobile applications. The app uses gold standard, evidence-based asthma care practices and extends the support infrastructure beyond family and healthcare providers to engage the child, their peers, and school personnel. Further, the app was built using a systems engineering approach. This article reviews the basis for developing an asthma care mobile application including the conceptual framework supporting a systems model, how the Just-in-Time Asthma Self-management Intervention is unique, and how it was built using a systems engineering design.