Effectiveness of a Maintenance and Reliever Digihaler System in Asthma: 24-Week Randomized Study (CONNECT2)

Area of Science:

• Digital health
• Asthma management
• Respiratory medicine

Background:

• Digital health tools can improve asthma control by addressing inhaler technique, adherence, and medication overuse.
• The Digihaler System (DS) includes inhalers, an app, and a dashboard for monitoring and clinical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Digihaler System (DS) in improving asthma control compared to standard-of-care (SoC).

Main Methods:

• A 24-week, open-label, randomized study comparing DS to SoC in participants aged 13+ with uncontrolled asthma (ACT score <19).
• Primary endpoint: proportion of patients achieving well-controlled asthma (ACT score ≥20 or increase of ≥3 units).

Main Results:

• DS showed an 88.7% probability of improving asthma control versus SoC, with a 35% higher odds of improvement.
• DS group demonstrated increased clinician interactions, improved maintenance treatment adherence, and a 38.2% reduction in reliever use.
• App and Dashboard usability was rated as "good" by participants.

Conclusions:

• The Digihaler System (DS) effectively improves asthma control and adherence in patients with uncontrolled asthma.
• Digital health solutions like DS offer a promising approach to enhance asthma management and patient outcomes.