A review of the use and effectiveness of digital health technologies in patients with asthma

Abstract

Objective: A new generation of digital health technologies (DHT) offers the opportunity to improve adherence and asthma control. Recent literature was reviewed to summarize the use of technological aids and evaluate their impact on health outcomes in patients with asthma.

Data sources: PubMed and Embase were searched to identify articles published over the past 5 years (2013 to 2017).

Study selections: All records were judged for eligibility by 2 independent reviewers; 28 articles met the inclusion criteria.

Results: Interactive websites were the most frequently evaluated type of DHT (50% of all studies), followed by mobile apps in adult patient cohorts. Relatively few studies assessed electronic monitoring devices, phone calls, or text messaging. Among the 16 studies that focused on children, most interventions that used interactive websites (n = 8) showed at least some benefit, although results varied based on the specific outcome. Twelve studies focused on adults, with interventions using interactive websites (n = 6) reporting results that were generally less consistent compared with the pediatric studies. The 6 studies that assessed mobile apps with adult patients reported consistent benefits across a range of outcomes, including medication adherence and asthma control.

Conclusion: Most interventions reported at least some benefit, although results varied based on the specific outcome. Overall, technology that included more interactive features, such as website-based daily diary entries and apps that provided real-time feedback, was associated with increased asthma control, as was the case for multidimensional interventions that combined the use of several complementary types of DHT.