Support app found to improve quality of life for asthma patients

A chat-based smartphone app has been found to improve quality of life for people living with asthma, compared to normal care.

The app was tested as part of a study that was published in ERJ Open Research.

Background

Asthma affects millions of people worldwide and can have a major impact on daily life. Research shows that when people receive good training on how to manage their symptoms, it can reduce this impact and improve quality of life. In recent years, digital tools have become more common for supporting people with asthma.

What did the study look at?

Researchers conducted a randomised controlled trial which is a study where people are randomly put into different groups to fairly test whether a treatment or approach works.

Between May 2022 and October 2023, the study included 69 adults with asthma:

• App group: 34 people were given a smartphone app with access to a chat function. The app provided information from the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) recommendations, including tips for managing symptoms, reminders and the option to contact a lung specialist when needed.
• Standard care group: 35 people were put into a group that received the normal asthma education training. This included creating a personal asthma plan and follow-up training sessions as often as needed. They were also given phone and email contacts to reach the care team if their asthma got worse.
• After 6 months, researchers used a questionnaire to see whether participants’ quality of life had improved.

What do the results show?

The results found that people in the app group had larger improvements in their quality of life, compared with those receiving the standard level of care. The researchers describe the difference as significant, meaning it was unlikely to be caused by chance.

Throughout the study, no people in the app group were hospitalised, whereas approximately 3 people in the standard care group were hospitalised. Although this study focused more on quality of life, this is a useful finding as hospitalisations can add to an individual’s burden and also pressure on healthcare systems.

Why is this important?

This study shows that digital tools like this asthma app can provide a convenient and supportive way for people to manage their symptoms day to day. This approach can help improve quality of life and may reduce the likelihood of hospital visits, particularly for people with more severe asthma. The research included a small group of people and future research would need to test the use of the app in in larger numbers of people to confirm the findings.

ELF is involved in digital health projects which look at the best use of digital tools in respiratory health. This work includes the ELF Digital Health Working Group and the EU-funded OPTIMA project, which is looking at how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can support lung, prostrate and breast cancer treatment decisions. Find out more.

Read the original research paper:

Larger quality-of-life gains with an asthma support app: a randomised controlled trial