Digital Coaching Using Smart Inhaler Technology to Improve Asthma Management in Patients With Asthma in Italy:...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Respiratory Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Poor asthma control is linked to reliance on short-acting inhalers and poor adherence to maintenance medication.
• Digital health solutions offer potential for improving medication use and asthma control in community settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the community implementation of the Turbu+ program for asthma self-management.
• To evaluate adherence to budesonide and formoterol (Symbicort) Turbuhaler.
• To provide healthcare professionals with real-world insights into patient medication use.

Main Methods:

• 661 asthma patients used the Turbu+ program with an electronic monitoring device for ≥90 days.
• The program provided reminders, visualized medication use, and motivational messages via a smartphone app.
• Medication adherence was measured as the proportion of prescribed maintenance inhalations taken daily.

Main Results:

• Overall medication adherence was 70.2% over a mean monitoring period of 217.2 days.
• The proportion of adherent days was 56.6%, with higher rates in the maintenance and reliever therapy groups (60.0% and 52.9%) compared to maintenance therapy alone (52.7% and 50.6%).
• Discontinuation rates from the Turbu+ program were significantly lower for maintenance and reliever therapy.

Conclusions:

• The Turbu+ program demonstrated high medication adherence, likely due to its electronic monitoring and feedback system.
• Maintenance and reliever therapy, supported by the Turbu+ program, showed improved adherence and lower discontinuation rates.
• Digital health interventions show promise for enhancing asthma self-management and medication adherence in real-world settings.