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Abstract
Asthma is one of the most common chronic non-communicable diseases worldwide and is characterised by variable airflow obstruction, causing dyspnoea and wheezing. Highly effective therapies are available; asthma morbidity and mortality have vastly improved in the past 15 years, and most patients can attain good asthma control. However, undertreatment is still common, and improving patient and health-care provider understanding of when and how to adjust treatment is crucial. Asthma management consists of a cycle of assessment of asthma control and risk factors and adjustment of medications accordingly. With the introduction of biological therapies, management of severe asthma has entered the precision medicine era-a shift that is driving clinical ambitions towards disease remission. Patients with severe asthma often have co-existing conditions contributing to their symptoms, mandating a multidimensional management approach. In this Seminar, we provide a clinically focused overview of asthma; epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management in children and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Porsbjerg
- Department of Respiratory and Infectious Diseases, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Erik Melén
- Department of Clinical Science and Education Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet and Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lauri Lehtimäki
- Allergy Centre, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland; Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Dominick Shaw
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Division of Respiratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Qualitative study of user perspectives and experiences of digital inhaler technology. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med 2022; 32:57. [PMID: 36550136 PMCID: PMC9780314 DOI: 10.1038/s41533-022-00320-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Electronic monitoring devices (EMDs) have been trialled in interventions to improve inhaled corticosteroid adherence and clinical outcomes. This study sought to understand the perceptions and experiences of EMD end-users. Participants recruited into a six-month EMD study were invited to a semi-structured interview. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the framework approach. Twenty-eight participants (68% female, median age 47) were interviewed. Individuals described feeling responsible for their asthma control. Recent attacks motivated a desire to maintain control. Study participation led to increased awareness of asthma status and medication use. Several individuals were open to integrating digital monitoring data with other mHealth inputs, perceiving the potential to enhance communication with clinicians and empower self-management. Openness to data sharing was tied to expectations of transparent data use. Data supported integrating beliefs and habit formation to achieve behaviour change. There was a willingness for an integrated, platform-based approach to digital self-management.
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Chan A, De Simoni A, Wileman V, Holliday L, Newby CJ, Chisari C, Ali S, Zhu N, Padakanti P, Pinprachanan V, Ting V, Griffiths CJ. Digital interventions to improve adherence to maintenance medication in asthma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2022; 6:CD013030. [PMID: 35691614 PMCID: PMC9188849 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd013030.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asthma is the most common chronic lung condition worldwide, affecting 334 million adults and children globally. Despite the availability of effective treatment, such as inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), adherence to maintenance medication remains suboptimal. Poor ICS adherence leads to increased asthma symptoms, exacerbations, hospitalisations, and healthcare utilisation. Importantly, suboptimal use of asthma medication is a key contributor to asthma deaths. The impact of digital interventions on adherence and asthma outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of digital interventions for improving adherence to maintenance treatments in asthma. SEARCH METHODS We identified trials from the Cochrane Airways Trials Register, which contains studies identified through multiple electronic searches and handsearches of other sources. We also searched trial registries and reference lists of primary studies. We conducted the most recent searches on 1 June 2020, with no restrictions on language of publication. A further search was run in October 2021, but studies were not fully incorporated. SELECTION CRITERIA We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) including cluster- and quasi-randomised trials of any duration in any setting, comparing a digital adherence intervention with a non-digital adherence intervention or usual care. We included adults and children with a clinical diagnosis of asthma, receiving maintenance treatment. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We used standard methodological procedures for data collection. We used GRADE to assess quantitative outcomes where data were available. MAIN RESULTS We included 40 parallel randomised controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults and children with asthma (n = 15,207), of which eight are ongoing studies. Of the included studies, 30 contributed data to at least one meta-analysis. The total number of participants ranged from 18 to 8517 (median 339). Intervention length ranged from two to 104 weeks. Most studies (n = 29) reported adherence to maintenance medication as their primary outcome; other outcomes such as asthma control and quality of life were also commonly reported. Studies had low or unclear risk of selection bias but high risk of performance and detection biases due to inability to blind the participants, personnel, or outcome assessors. A quarter of the studies had high risk of attrition bias and selective outcome reporting. We examined the effect of digital interventions using meta-analysis for the following outcomes: adherence (16 studies); asthma control (16 studies); asthma exacerbations (six studies); unscheduled healthcare utilisation (four studies); lung function (seven studies); and quality of life (10 studies). Pooled results showed that patients receiving digital interventions may have increased adherence (mean difference of 14.66 percentage points, 95% confidence interval (CI) 7.74 to 21.57; low-certainty evidence); this is likely to be clinically significant in those with poor baseline medication adherence. Subgroup analysis by type of intervention was significant (P = 0.001), with better adherence shown with electronic monitoring devices (EMDs) (23 percentage points over control, 95% CI 10.84 to 34.16; seven studies), and with short message services (SMS) (12 percentage points over control, 95% CI 6.22 to 18.03; four studies). No significant subgroup differences were seen for interventions having an in-person component versus fully digital interventions, adherence feedback, one or multiple digital components to the intervention, or participant age. Digital interventions were likely to improve asthma control (standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.31 higher, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.44; moderate-certainty evidence) - a small but likely clinically significant effect. They may reduce asthma exacerbations (risk ratio 0.53, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.91; low-certainty evidence). Digital interventions may result in a slight change in unscheduled healthcare utilisation, although some studies reported no or a worsened effect. School or work absence data could not be included for meta-analysis due to the heterogeneity in reporting and the low number of studies. They may result in little or no difference in lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)): there was an improvement of 3.58% predicted FEV1, 95% CI 1.00% to 6.17%; moderate-certainty evidence); however, this is unlikely to be clinically significant as the FEV1 change is below 12%. Digital interventions likely increase quality of life (SMD 0.26 higher, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.45; moderate-certainty evidence); however, this is a small effect that may not be clinically significant. Acceptability data showed positive attitudes towards digital interventions. There were no data on cost-effectiveness or adverse events. Our confidence in the evidence was reduced by risk of bias and inconsistency. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Overall, digital interventions may result in a large increase in adherence (low-certainty evidence). There is moderate-certainty evidence that digital adherence interventions likely improve asthma control to a degree that is clinically significant, and likely increase quality of life, but there is little or no improvement in lung function. The review found low-certainty evidence that digital interventions may reduce asthma exacerbations. Subgroup analyses show that EMDs may improve adherence by 23% and SMS interventions by 12%, and interventions with an in-person element and adherence feedback may have greater benefits for asthma control and adherence, respectively. Future studies should include percentage adherence as a routine outcome measure to enable comparison between studies and meta-analysis, and use validated questionnaires to assess adherence and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Chan
- Centre for Behavioural Medicine, Department of Practice and Policy, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Anna De Simoni
- Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Centre for Primary Care Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Vari Wileman
- Centre for Behavioural Medicine, Department of Practice and Policy, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lois Holliday
- Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Centre for Primary Care Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Chris J Newby
- Research Design Service, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Claudia Chisari
- Centre for Behavioural Medicine, Department of Practice and Policy, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sana Ali
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Natalee Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | | | - Victoria Ting
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Chris J Griffiths
- Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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Chan AHY, Pleasants RA, Dhand R, Tilley SL, Schworer SA, Costello RW, Merchant R. Digital Inhalers for Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Scientific Perspective. Pulm Ther 2021; 7:345-376. [PMID: 34379316 PMCID: PMC8589868 DOI: 10.1007/s41030-021-00167-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Impressive advances in inhalation therapy for patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have occurred in recent years. However, important gaps in care remain, particularly relating to poor adherence to inhaled therapies. Digital inhaler health platforms which incorporate digital inhalers to monitor time and date of dosing are an effective disease and medication management tool, promoting collaborative care between clinicians and patients, and providing more in-depth understanding of actual inhaler use. With advances in technology, nearly all inhalers can be digitalized with add-on or embedded sensors to record and transmit data quantitating inhaler actuations, and some have additional capabilities to evaluate inhaler technique. In addition to providing an objective and readily available measure of adherence, they allow patients to interact with the device directly or through their self-management smartphone application such as via alerts and recording of health status. Clinicians can access these data remotely and during patient encounters, to better inform them about disease status and medication adherence and inhaler technique. The ability for remote patient monitoring is accelerating interest in and the use of these devices in clinical practice and research settings. More than 20 clinical studies of digital inhalers in asthma or COPD collectively show improvement in medication adherence, exacerbation risk, and patient outcomes with digital inhalers. These studies support previous findings about patient inhaler use and behaviors, but with greater granularity, and reveal some new findings about patient medication-taking behaviors. Digital devices that record inspiratory flows with inhaler use can guide proper inhaler technique and may prove to be a clinically useful lung function measure. Adoption of digital inhalers into practice is still early, and additional research is needed to determine patient and clinician acceptability, the appropriate place of these devices in the therapeutic regimen, and their cost effectiveness. Video: Digital Inhalers for Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Scientific Perspective (MP4 74535 kb)
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy H. Y. Chan
- Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023 New Zealand
| | - Roy A. Pleasants
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Rajiv Dhand
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN USA
| | - Stephen L. Tilley
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Stephen A. Schworer
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Richard W. Costello
- Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, 123 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, D02 YN77 Ireland
| | - Rajan Merchant
- Dignity Health Woodland Clinic, 632 W Gibson Rd, Woodland, CA USA
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Lee JR, Leo S, Liao S, Ng WR, Tay TYN, Wang Y, Ang WHD, Lau Y. Electronic adherence monitoring devices for children with asthma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Int J Nurs Stud 2021; 122:104037. [PMID: 34391027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.104037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Asthma is a common chronic condition amongst children. Poor adherence to asthma medications can increase asthma exacerbations, absence from school, healthcare utilisation and costs and decrease quality of life. Emerging evidence suggests the use of electronic adherence monitoring devices in improving children's adherence to medications. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of electronic adherence monitoring devices in improving inhaler adherence amongst children with asthma. DESIGN This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES A systematic search using Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses from inception up to April 6, 2021, was conducted. REVIEW METHODS Randomised controlled trials evaluating the use of electronic adherence monitoring devices amongst children and published in English were included. The outcomes were inhaler adherence, asthma exacerbation, lung function, asthma control and accessibility. The overall effect was measured using Hedges' g and determined using Z-statistics at a significance level of p < 0.05. Heterogeneity was assessed using χ2 and I² statistics. The individual and overall quality of evidence was assessed. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were conducted. Narrative synthesis of outcomes was performed when meta-analysis could not be conducted on the data. RESULTS A total of 13,429 records were identified, and 10 randomised controlled trials in 11 articles amongst 1123 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis revealed that the electronic adherence monitoring device group was 1.50 times more likely to adhere to inhalers compared with the control group with medium-to-large effect size (g = 0.64). A series of subgroup analyses showed that no significant subgroup differences for inhaler adherence were found amongst different populations, comparator, setting, duration of the monitoring period, reminder, and feedback functions of the electronic adherence monitoring devices. Children found the devices as user friendly with high accessibility scores. However, no significant differences were observed between the intervention and control groups for asthma exacerbations, lung function and asthma control. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this study suggested that electronic adherence monitoring devices could improve inhaler adherence. Future devices should contain actuation and inhalation functions that can help to confirm actual inhalation amongst children with asthma. The overall evidence of outcomes ranged from very low to high. Furthermore, future large-scale trials were recommended before clinical implementations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Ru Lee
- Nursing Department, Dover Park Hospice, Singapore
| | - Siyan Leo
- Nursing Department, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore
| | - Suyue Liao
- Nursing Department, Changi General Hospital, Singapore.
| | - Wan Ring Ng
- Nursing Department, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
| | | | - Yutao Wang
- Nursing Department, Changi General Hospital, Singapore.
| | - Wei How Darryl Ang
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre, National University of Singapore, Block MD11, 10 Medical Drive 117597, Singapore.
| | - Ying Lau
- Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre, National University of Singapore, Block MD11, 10 Medical Drive 117597, Singapore.
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The efficacy of a novel monitoring device on asthma control in children with asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2020; 125:352-354. [PMID: 32574599 DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2020.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Koumpagioti D, Boutopoulou B, Priftis KN, Douros K. Effectiveness of an educational program for children and their families on asthma control treatment adherence. J Asthma 2019; 57:567-573. [PMID: 30905211 DOI: 10.1080/02770903.2019.1585873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Τo investigate the effect of an asthma care educational program for children and adolescents with asthma, on adherence to asthma control treatment and on clinical indices.Methods: Individuals newly diagnosed with asthma, aged 4-16 years, randomized to the intervention and control group. The participants were monitored for 6 weeks. At baseline, before the initiation of inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting beta2-agonist (ICS/LABA), the intervention group attended the educational program; the control group received the usual care. Both groups were equipped with electronic monitoring devices for measuring adherence. Spirometry, exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FeNO), and asthma control test (ACT) score were measured in both groups in the pre and post-ICS/LABA initiation visit.Results: Seventy-eight participants were enrolled in this study (n = 39 to each group). Median percentage of adherence was 73% for the total sample, and 80% and 68% in intervention and control group, respectively (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the program was positively associated with improved adherence (p < 0.001). ICS/LABA had a positive effect on spirometric indices, FeNO, and ACT score, whilst the educational program did not improved significantly the above variables.Conclusions: Establishing and increasing adherence is challenging. An asthma care educational program is associated with greater short-term adherence during a period of active monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Barbara Boutopoulou
- Respiratory and Allergy Unit, 3rd Pediatric Department of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University General Hospital "Attikon", Athens, Greece
| | - Kostas N Priftis
- Respiratory and Allergy Unit, 3rd Pediatric Department of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University General Hospital "Attikon", Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Douros
- Respiratory and Allergy Unit, 3rd Pediatric Department of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University General Hospital "Attikon", Athens, Greece
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