Investigating Adherence to Asthma Management with an Electronic Monitoring System

Adherence to prescribed inhaler use is critical for effective asthma management and to prevent exacerbations. However, overall adherence to inhaler use among asthma patients is low and the most frequent measures of adherence are considered not sufficiently reliable. The aim of this study was to investigate adherence rates and their impact on asthma management via an electronic monitoring system.

This was a prospective observational study of adults diagnosed with asthma who were equipped with electronic monitoring sensors whose data were recorded from August 2019 to June 2020. The study participants were also divided into two groups: allergic and nonallergic. The study lasted 90 days, and participants' demographic information, inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dosage, lung function and asthma control test scores, blood samples, exhaled nitric oxide concentrations, and inhaler usage records from the electronic monitoring system were collected.

In total, 39 asthma patients completed the follow-up period. The study results revealed a significant difference in the adherence rates between the allergy and nonallergy groups at 30 days, with respective adherence rates of 49.9% and 22.8%, and at 90 days, the rates were 37.3% in the allergy group and 19.3% in the nonallergy group. The study results also revealed a significant positive correlation between medication adherence and the allergy group, and adherence was negatively correlated with the ICS dosage.

In this study, the average medication adherence rates among asthma patients were low and even lower in the nonallergy group than in the allergy group. Electronic monitoring can provide a clearer understanding of patients' medication patterns and could serve as a valuable tool for improving asthma management in the future.