A mHealth Intervention to Improve Symptom Control in Children and Adolescents With Difficult-to-control Asthma
Asthma in Children
About this trial
This is an interventional supportive care trial for Asthma in Children
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- children between 6 and 18 years old;
- diagnosis of moderate to severe persistent asthma according to the international guidelines
- difficult to control asthma according to a scoring in the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) of 1.5 points;
- access to internet and a smartphone, tablet or computer;
- ability to understand and use the web-based platform (in children <12 years the ability of the tutor or legal guardian);
- informed consent (by the tutor or legal guardian)
Exclusion Criteria:
- patients who have had an exacerbation in the previous two weeks;
- patients with intermittent asthma and/or well-controlled asthma according to the ACQ score of <1.5;
- any neurological or psychiatric condition that prevents patients to use adequately the platform.
Sites / Locations
- Hospital Universitari Parc TaulíRecruiting
- Hospital del MarRecruiting
- Hospital Universitari Vall d'HebronRecruiting
- Hospital Santa Creu i Sant PauRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
No Intervention
Intervention Group
Control Group
Participants in the IG will be given free access to the HappyAir platform during a 6-month period. This platform combines online/offline content to help patients with chronic respiratory diseases monitor their symptoms and improve self-management. In addition to tailored information on their condition, participants will be encouraged to fill in daily data on their physical activity levels, symptomatology, use of rescue medication and mood. In children under 12 years, parents or caregivers will fill in this information. Patients will be asked to record their peak expiratory flow using an electronic peak flow meter twice daily and to fulfil the Asthma Control Questionnaire once a week. They will also have a device connected to their inhaler to record adherence to the medical treatment and will get daily reminders in their smartphones. Every patient will be assigned a respiratory coach who will monitor patient during the study and whom the patients can contact at any time.
Subjects in the CG will receive standard care consisting of periodic visitations at the Allergology or Paediatric Pulmonology Unit in their respective hospitals every 4 - 8 weeks according to their physician's criteria. In addition, patients and caregivers in both groups will receive one educational session regarding the correct use of their inhalers.