Is Tech the Secret to Controlling Asthma Flare-Ups?

Published May 4th, 2021 | 4 Minute Read

As treatments for asthma evolve, it is important for healthcare companies to understand how perceptions and experiences continue to change and what strategies and technologies they might be able to implement to better address patient needs.

Respondents from Asthma In America 2020, Health Union’s syndicated survey of 1,025 people living with the condition, reported a range of medication regimens that, unfortunately, fell short. As a result, five in 10 respondents reported struggling with controlling their asthma triggers, and nearly three-fourths said they feel their asthma isn’t controlled. Further analysis of these findings shows that technology could have an expanded role in continuing to improve the patient journey.

Medical Devices of the Future

There is a growing understanding that new technological developments, like digital inhalers and apps to track symptoms, could increase adherence to treatments and improve outcomes. According to a 2018 National Institutes of Health study on digital technologies and adherence in respiratory diseases, the algorithmic analysis of large amounts of data, from health status to treatment use, alongside environmental data, could allow for interventions that establish correct and consistent inhaler use. The study outlines how some approaches to monitoring and improving adherence, such as electronic inhalers, text messages, reminders, and self-management tools that include internet applications, have been used so far.

Product innovations that support adherence include nebulizers that provide date and time-stamped adherence data and digital inhalers, as well as inhaler add-ons. These technologies measure the inhaler technique, as well as the quality of inhalation, which can help with adherence, specifically inhaling the full dose of medication. Additionally, these digital devices can wirelessly send data to a mobile health platform, which can be compared to the patient’s electronic medical records.

These devices are evolving to remotely monitor peak flow, physical activity, and ambient pollution, providing users and health care professionals with holistic health data. Additionally, biosensors that can continuously monitor respiratory and cardiac parameters allow for a range of options that can support proper medical adherence. Bringing these technologies into the mainstream may provide a lifeline for individuals with poorly controlled asthma.

Early Medical Technology Adopters

Regimens for asthma can be complicated, involving numerous medications, from emergency inhalers to corticosteroids, and devices, from spacers to nebulizers. Among Asthma in America 2020 survey respondents, 95% use a rescue inhaler, 87% use a maintenance inhaler, and half currently use a nebulizer to treat their flare-ups; additionally, 14% use a biologic. With a possible use of combination therapy, having an app that can remind people to take their medications, what medications to take, and what plans to follow based on lung function could be beneficial.

Survey findings suggest there’s already a number of early adopters using technology to manage their asthma symptoms. Nearly one in five respondents said they currently use mobile apps to track asthma triggers; about one in 10 use apps for tracking symptoms and reminding when to take and refill medications. These apps could be particularly useful to the nearly one-third of respondents who said they forgot to take their medication on schedule within the past month. Furthermore, with half being interested in using a digital inhaler, it’s clear that smart inhalers are of interest to the asthma community.

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This data around interest in digital inhalers grows on the findings from previous iterations of Health Union’s survey data. For example, an analysis of Asthma In America 2019 data found that respondents who were interested in digital inhalers were more likely to have persistent asthma and to feel like they’ve tried everything to manage their asthma symptoms, but still aren’t in control. Additionally, these individuals had a higher likelihood of also being diagnosed with an anxiety or panic disorder. Digital inhalers could provide some much-wanted insight into their overall treatment and progress, bolstered by the belief that the information collected could be useful in the present and future.

The Fight to Holistically Improve All Outcomes

Top asthma symptoms among Asthma in America 2020 respondents included fatigue, cold symptoms, allergies symptoms, shortness of breath during everyday activities, wheezing, noisy breathing, sensitivity to fragrances, and chest tightness or pain. And 44% of those surveyed feel that asthma holds them back from doing things they enjoy.

When asthma flares up, or gets bad, an individual may have to go to the emergency room or urgent care center. In fact, a third of respondents said they feel that their asthma is severe, and nearly half of had a flare-up that ended in an ER visit once over the previous year.

Asthma doesn’t just have physical impacts. With asthma-related ER visit costs averaging $1,502, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, it’s clear that asthma is a financial burden. In fact, more than a third of 2020 survey respondents agreed that asthma had a significant negative financial impact across their journey.

Asthma is a complicated chronic health issue that impacts individuals physically, emotionally, and financially. For healthcare companies, finding innovative and helpful ways to implement tech, from apps to digital medical devices, could be the missing link in improving treatment plan compliance, quality of life, and perhaps health outcomes.

For more about the asthma patient experience, join Health Union’s upcoming webinar presentation with Intellus Worldwide featuring an Asthma.net advocate and focusing on the challenges of treatment compliance.