With one year of use, improvements seen in asthma outcomes
WEDNESDAY, June 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The electronic-AsthmaTracker (e-AT) app aids self-monitoring and improves asthma outcomes among pediatric patients and their parents, according to a study published in the June issue of Pediatrics.
Flory L. Nkoy, M.D., from the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, and colleagues enrolled 327 children (aged 2 to 17 years) and their parents (2014 through 2015) in 11 general pediatric clinics to use the e-AT weekly for one year.
The researchers found that adherence with e-AT use at 12 months was 65 percent. e-AT participants had significantly improved quality of life and asthma control and fewer missed school and work days at three, six, and 12 months compared with baseline. Furthermore, users had lower rates of one-year postintervention emergency department/hospital admissions (rate ratio, 0.68) and oral corticosteroid use (rate ratio, 0.74) compared with one year before e-AT use. There was high parent satisfaction. At one year postintervention, compared with matched controls, e-AT users had a lower rate of emergency department/hospital admissions (rate ratio, 0.41) and oral corticosteroid use (rate ratio, 0.65).
“It’s exciting to see that using an effective app can not only help improve the lives of children with asthma and their parents, but also allow their providers to give optimal care,” Nkoy said in a statement. “We are optimistic that spread of eAsthma Tracker can significantly improve asthma care and reduce asthma related health care cost.”
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