Randomized Prospective Trial of a Mobile Health Application for Asthma Self-Management

AsthmaCare is a novel mobile health application that integrates personalized asthma reminders with self management feedback. Users input their prescribed daily controller medications and personal asthma triggers upon first loading the app. Reminder messages are pushed through the device at predetermined times to take controller medications. Once daily push notifications are sent to the user regarding tips to avoid preselected asthma triggers.

Users are asked to input their use of controller medications, which is entered into a medication log. Every interaction will unlock reward points as gaming theory is integrated into AsthmaCare to maintain user engagement.

If symptoms occur or if rescue medication use is logged into AsthmaCare, the user is automatically directed to an interactive asthma self-management plan, aka written asthma treatment plan. When users are in the yellow zone, they receive notifications every 4 hours regarding symptom update or rescue medication use. When users are in the red zone, these notifications occur every 1 hour. When users are in the green zone (baseline, no symptoms), they will receive motivational messages every 24 hours to maintain engagement with the app as well as remind them to continue to use controller medications.

In addition to medication reminders and an interactive self-management plan, AsthmaCare provides links to the nearest National Pollen Bureau counting station and allows for symptom/medication diaries to be emailed for sharing with providers or printing.

Mobile health applications, particularly for asthma, have not been studies in prospective clinical trials to demonstrate ongoing user engagement or efficacy. This study aims to determine whether users of an asthma mobile health application will have superior clinical outcomes compared with traditional asthma management.

Inclusion criteria

• Physician diagnosis of persistent asthma defined by treatment with at least one daily controller medication
• Fluent English speaking
• Subject must have access to an iOS or Android device in order to download and use the mobile health application
• At least one Emergency Department or Urgent Care visit due to asthma exacerbation in the 12 months prior to enrollment

Exclusion criteria

• No prescription/recommendation to use a daily controller medication
• Non-English speaking
• Lack of access to an iOS or Android device
• Current or prior use of AsthmaCare mobile health application at any time. Research assistant will assess by reviewing beforehand a complete list of people who have already downloaded the app