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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2019 Nov 12;9(11):e032465.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032465.

Feasibility trial of a digital self-management intervention 'My Breathing Matters' to improve asthma-related quality of life for UK primary care patients with asthma

Ben Ainsworth  1   2 , Kate Greenwell  3 , Beth Stuart  4 , James Raftery  4 , Frances Mair  5 , Anne Bruton  6 , Lucy Yardley  3   7 , Mike Thomas  4
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Feasibility trial of a digital self-management intervention 'My Breathing Matters' to improve asthma-related quality of life for UK primary care patients with asthma

Ben Ainsworth et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objective: To assess the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) and acceptability of an asthma self-management digital intervention to improve asthma-specific quality of life in comparison with usual care.

Design and setting: A two-arm feasibility RCT conducted across seven general practices in Wessex, UK.

Participants: Primary care patients with asthma aged 18 years and over, with impaired asthma-specific quality of life and access to the internet.

Interventions: 'My Breathing Matters' (MBM) is a digital asthma self-management intervention designed using theory, evidence and person-based approaches to provide tailored support for both pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of asthma symptoms.

Outcomes: The primary outcome was the feasibility of the trial design, including recruitment, adherence and retention at follow-up (3 and 12 months). Secondary outcomes were the feasibility and effect sizes of specific trial measures including asthma-specific quality of life and asthma control.

Results: Primary outcomes: 88 patients were recruited (target 80). At 3-month follow-up, two patients withdrew and six did not complete outcome measures. At 12 months, two withdrew and four did not complete outcome measures. 36/44 patients in the intervention group engaged with MBM (median of 4 logins, range 0-25, IQR 8). Consistent trends were observed to improvements in asthma-related patient-reported outcome measures.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of a definitive RCT that is required to determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a digital asthma self-management intervention.

Trial registration number: ISRCTN15698435.

Keywords: asthma; breathing retraining; digital; primary care; quality of life; self-management.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: Neither MT nor any member of his close family has any shares in pharmaceutical companies. In the last 3 years, he has received speaker’s honoraria for speaking at sponsored meetings or satellite symposia at conferences from the following companies marketing respiratory and allergy products: GSK, Novartis. He has received honoraria for attending advisory panels with; Boehringer Inglehiem, GSK, Novartis. He is a recent a member of the BTS SIGN Asthma guideline steering group and the NICE Asthma Diagnosis and Monitoring guideline development group. BA, KG, JR, BS, LY, FM and AB have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study CONSORT diagram. CONSORT, Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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