The effect of the CareAide® mobile application in adult outpatients with asthma: A randomised controlled trial

Asthma affects over 260 million globally, with poor control and non-adherence limiting outcomes. Malaysia reports 6.2% adult prevalence, necessitating innovative strategies. Mobile health (mHealth) apps show promise for enhancing engagement and self-management in chronic respiratory diseases.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the CareAide® mobile application in improving asthma control among Malaysian adults.

An open-label, randomised controlled trial was conducted at Hospital Pulau Pinang between July 2023 and June 2024. 162 adults with physician-diagnosed asthma were randomised to intervention (CareAide® plus standard care) or control (standard care). The Primary outcome (6-month asthma control via Asthma Control Questionnaire ACQ-7) was analyzed using ANCOVA (complete cases), and ITT sensitivity via multiple imputation was performed as secondary analysis.

Among 162 randomised patients, 129 completed 6-month follow-up (intervention n = 68, control n = 61). Participants were predominantly female (66%), middle-aged (40-59 years), and living in urban areas (92%). Baseline asthma control was similar between groups (ACQ-7: 1.73 (1.08) in the intervention group vs 1.51 (0.95) in the control group. At 6 months, mean ACQ-7 scores were 0.99 (intervention) and 1.34 (control), corresponding to an adjusted mean difference of -0.414 (95% CI -0.783 to -0.045; p = 0.028) in favour of the intervention after baseline adjustment. An intention-to-treat sensitivity analysis using multiple imputation (N = 162) showed a similar direction of effect (adjusted mean difference -0.350; 95% CI -0.780 to 0.081; p = 0.110).

CareAide® significantly improved asthma control as an effective digital adjunct for chronic respiratory management.