Mobile Health Apps for Asthma Management

This assignment delves into the realm of mobile health applications (mHealth) specifically designed for asthma management. It examines various studies and research papers that analyze the content, functionality, and effectiveness of these apps. The focus is on understanding how mHealth tools can empower patients with self-monitoring capabilities, provide educational resources, and ultimately improve asthma control and overall well-being.

Tailoring and personalisation of
applications in health
intervention for asthma
management

TABLE OF CONTENTS
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................1
ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................................1
KEYWORDS...................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
METHODS......................................................................................................................................1
RESULTS........................................................................................................................................3
DISCUSSION..................................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

LITERATURE REVIEW
ABSTRACT
People who suffered from asthma have to adapt their long term condition within the
context of their daily life. They have to manage their work accordingly, they must take
medicines regularly, must have adequate supply of inhalers, avoid visiting dusty place in order to
reduce the effect of asthma and cope up with the variability of asthma. It is essential for the
patient to understand when their asthma deteriorating, they have to make decisions accordingly
regarding when to take treatment, from where to take treatment or to seek professional help. In
the systematic review researcher has selected various articles who have conducted study on the
personalisation applications in health interventions for managing asthma.
KEYWORDS
Tailoring mobile application, personalised medication, self education for asthma, asthma control,
e-Health, asthma management, public health interventions, desktop resources and applications,
self monitoring for asthma, m-Health, Android, iPhone, mobile health
INTRODUCTION
Self management and self education are very helpful in order to get rid of asthma or
symptoms of asthma efficiently. Evolution of technologies considered as boon to healthcare
sector and for patients who resists visiting health care centre for check up. Many mobile
applications and desktop applications has been innovated by professionals which guide the
patient to prepare self management plan and things to follow in order to get rid of asthma. In this
context, the systematic review aid in providing detail understanding about the self management
and self education in order to prevent or control asthma with the help of different mobile and
desktop applications. In the following review, researcher aims to analyse articles which were
written by senior researchers regarding the subject matter. Proper methods will be use and
appropriate study will be produce by the researcher.
METHODS
In order to conduct the study, a search was carried out in order to obtain relevant set of
articles. It depicted the use of database search done through several online database. The articles
were majorly selected from Google Scholar and Pub-Med. The search was conducted on April
2018 and articles published in the year between 2010 to 2018 were selected. In order to identify

more refined set of articles, a keyword research has been conducted by using 2 main Boolean
operators. Following search string was taken into consideration using AND- OR: (“asthma
management OR asthma control OR self-management of chronic disease”) AND (“personalized
medication OR tailored mobile application”) AND (“public health intervention OR interactive
health communication”) AND (“e-Health OR m-Health”).
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Inclusion and Exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria refers that prospectus subjects which are selected for the study has been
qualified to be included in the research study whereas exclusion criteria means that prospectus
subjects identified, disqualify from inclusion of the study. These criteria have been set by the
researcher in order to conduct systematic review of articles. These assists in identifying and
selecting precise articles that can enhance the level of learning and understanding about the
subject matter. In this context, the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the present study is
demonstrated below in the table:-
Basis of Selection Inclusion Exclusion
Publication Date Articles which has been
published on or after year 2010
to March 2018 has been
selected and included in the
systematic review
Articles which published
before 2010 were excluded
from the study.
Publication Type Studies which have been
carried out originally
Study in the form of review or
editorial have not been
referred.
Exposure of Interest Public health intervention and
self management via mobile
and internet application for
patients suffering from asthma
have been included.
Public health intervention, self
education for the patient
suffering from any other form
of disease which are not
associated with lungs and
respiratory system has been
excluded.
Geographic locations Studies which were conducted
in Australian as well as
American region has been
included.
Studies which are carried out
in any other region except
Australia and America has
been excluded.
Language Only articles written in
English language has been
Articles written in any other
language other than English
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considered. were excluded from the study.
RESULTS
According to Wu, Carpenter and Himes, (2015) asthma affects 300 million people in the
world. Since the increase in mobile technology in individuals are increasingly turning towards
mobile health to help with asthma management. Mobile Health or m-Health refers to mobile
computing, communications systems, medical sensor that can enhance the care and treatment for
chronic disease. The number of mobile application has been increasing enormously over the past
decade. As of 2012, there were over 13000 health care related applications for Apple phone users
and 6000 applications for Android users (Wu, Carpenter and Himes, 2015). Under self
management and self education, individuals used different tactics in order to provide care to
themselves. The US institute of Medicine defines self management as the steps that individual
must undertake to adapt with one or more chronic diseases. These steps involve having the
confidence to deal with medical management, role management and emotional management.
The study conducted by Anantharam and et.al., (2015) has introduced a new platform
known as k-Health which is a knowledge enabled semantic platform to enhance decision making
and improve health fitness as well being. The mobile application contains all the information
regarding asthma and provide specific treatment for particular symptoms. The application is
available for android devices. The device is made for both active and passive sensing. Active
sensing involves patients whereas passive sensing does not involve patient. The devices uses
novel approach using low cost sensors which helps in ceaseless monitoring and using different
algorithms precise output and meaningful information has been generated that helps the patient
to make decision regarding the type of care needed.
Another study carried out by Huckvale and et.al., 2015 has analysed the number of
asthma applications developed in the year between 2011 and 2013. Authors have conducted
systematic assessment in order to collect and analyse the data. In their research they identified
that number of applications has been doubled in two years. It increases from 93 to 191 despite of
withdrawal of 25 per cent of existing applications. 39 per cent of all mobile applications shows
detail information about asthma helps in preparing self management plan and provide health care
tips in order to prevent it efficiently. Voncken-Brewster and et.al., (2014) conducted a pilot
study in which they reviewed the integration of tailored eHealth self management mobile and
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desktop applications. The study involves 6 practising nurse with individual patient to train them
in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
According to Pinnock, (2015) personalised asthma action plan are crucial component of
effective self management interventions. Through self management an individual suffering from
this chronic disease will be able to monitor and take appropriate action in order to minimise its
affects. The format of plan can be varied and different but at their core they share the same
content which helps the patients by providing them a summary of their regular management
strategy, recommends them on how to observe, recognise deterioration and suggests them by
providing them precise actions they should take.
Free and et.al., (2013) said that through self management plan one can monitor and make
decisions regarding the type of care to be given for specific issue. The personalised plan can be
customised by the patient and he or she can modify all the changes they prefer to in order to
enhance the care and treatments. The motive of asthma action plan is to assist individuals
suffering from asthma by providing them action to prevent or reduce the severity of an asthma
attack (Huckvale and et.al., 2012). Hall, Cole-Lewis and Bernhardt, (2015) elucidated that due to
increase in number of people suffering from asthma, numerous health interventions and mobile
applications have been developed that helps in guiding the patient towards right path through he
or she can reduce the impact of asthma attack effectively and efficiently.
Kahn, Yang and Kahn, (2010) argued that these applications are not feasible and
everyone cannot have those applications. Thus, in this context self management plans considered
as useful and helpful tools in order to monitor, evaluate and providing cure to the disease
efficiently. According to Akter and Ray, (2010) People who suffered from asthma have to adapt
their long term condition within the context of their daily life. They have to manage their work
accordingly, they must take medicines regularly, must have adequate supply of inhalers, avoid
visiting dusty place in order to reduce the effect of asthma and cope up with the variability of
asthma (Ryan and et.al., 2012).
It is essential for the patient to understand when their asthma deteriorating, they have to
make decisions accordingly regarding when to take treatment, from where to take treatment or to
seek professional help. Self management and self education are very helpful in order to get rid of
asthma or symptoms of asthma efficiently. Silverberg and Hanifin, (2013) said that asthma is
chronic disease and over 300 million people are suffering from asthma. Due to rise in
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technologies and accessibility of information via internet, individuals prefer to self educate about
the issue and with the help of effective mobile technologies and desktop applications, patients
can enhance the care effectively and efficiently.
If it is found relevant then patients could also be getting e-consultation at the starting
point of health assessment of patients. Studies also showed that all patients who have received
this e-consultation were all satisfied by their results. Still, asthma is been awaited for many kinds
of research activities to be performed as there are very specified amount of studies which are
taken place as concluded by Taylor and Bradley, (2016).
Pinnock, (2015) said that there are 3 main areas of this management system affecting
most of the people of world including medical, role and emotional. While there is required that
patients is been practising or targeting problems so that they could be easily making strategies
for self management. These strategies would be including motivating, engaging and then
empowering them all so that they are able to look forward for all applications that they could be
using.
DISCUSSION
Asthma is mainly regarded to as chronic respiratory disease which is prevalent
throughout the world most of the population of world is suffering from this especially among
children or minority group. This is age long disease which starts at very young age of children
making uneasy or unable for them to breath properly consist of both genetic and environmental
factors. Treatment of this disease is to a level very much growing in this technological ear as said
by O’Leary and Pratt, (2015) this is one of the reason behind increasing awareness of life
expectancy ration on worldwide level. In this order it would be easy for all patients in using
personalised asthma action plan which would be used as self management intervention part. But
on the other hand if the doctor who is taking care or handling the case of his asthma patients then
they must be discussing, negotiating and then setting out the tailor made or personalised plan for
them. Thus, it is very much clear that if any person is indulging themselves into the self
management activities or intervention this would be helpful into their chronic illness treatment.
Van Boven and Chavannes, (2015) included that deployment of self management would
be important part to notice as per the part of intelligent information system. Like there are some
approaches towards m-Health which is use of mobile device in the practise of medicine and
healthcare service of public. At this present era of mobile and internet technology there are many
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mobile application which are been used by about 2.8 million people of world by employing
home monitoring service.
Symptoms of asthma could be ranging from mild to severe which is cause of about 4000
deaths of its patients all around the world which is mainly in young age children below the age of
10 or 10 years. Under this related issue there have been done about 9 reviews on the study of
intervention related to provision of healthcare. Among which two of them were main stating
administrative or system changes and then provider of education one of them were based only on
children and then other was on all ages. Administrative changed strategy was used into about 13
studies that were mainly targeting children.
Hamine, Gerth-Guyette and Ginsburg, (2015) elaborated that patients in terms of
forgetting their medication in their engaged daily life which is then termed to as non-adherence
one. On the other hand if the patient intentionally is not taking their prescribed therapy or even
when they are discontinuing their treatment if they are feeling better. But this part could not be
decided on their own they need to take advice of their doctor after which they could stop this
fact. In order to control the effect of asthma there are two basic tools which are Asthma Control
Questionnaire (ACQ-6) and Asthma Control Test. Both these tools as per Kim, Choi and Han,
(2016) are used often that too on regular bases. On the other hand increasing use and method of
technology within asthma control task it becomes very easy to detect the initial symptoms of this
disease and then their proactive intervention as well. There is an attached system which would be
sending alerts to patient and also to their healthcare provider at the time when both the above
said control systems are exceeding certain limit which is initially set by healthcare practitioner
only.
Mobile Health or m-Health refers to mobile computing, communications systems,
medical sensor that can enhance the care and treatment for chronic disease. The US institute of
Medicine defines self management as the steps that individual must undertake to adapt with one
or more chronic diseases. The application is available for android devices. The device is made
for both active and passive sensing. Active sensing involves patients whereas passive sensing
does not involve patient. Through self management an individual suffering from this chronic
disease will be able to monitor and take appropriate action in order to minimise its affects. There
are also many e-health service in field of social healthcare sector that must be used by all
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patients in order to independently do their treatment of chronic disease. Like asthmatic attacks
could be striking the patient who is suffering from this any time so at that time when no one is
there for help they could easily help themselves which is the main aim of these mobile or
desktop applications. While as per World Health Organisation (WHO) in terms of management
of asthma requirement of adherence of patients in this field would be required and they divided
that into 3 parts namely non-adherence, erratic non adherence and intelligent non adherence
CONCLUSION
So it is concluded that asthma been very common and chronic disease which is hitting
most of the people across the world but then also there is very little research on this topic. This is
very important area to which is requiring doing research on but technology is that part which is
affecting their patients the most. Mobile and other device which are been used in order to track
changes and symptoms of asthma would be important inventions in this field of health care
service.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Akter, S. and Ray, P., 2010. mHealth-an ultimate platform to serve the unserved. Yearb Med
Inform, 2010, pp.94-100.
Anantharam, P., and et.al., 2015, June. Knowledge-driven personalized contextual mhealth
service for asthma management in children. In Mobile Services (MS), 2015 IEEE
International Conference on (pp. 284-291). IEEE.
Chisholm, A., and Castillo-Carandang, N., 2017. Personalising care of adults with asthma from
Asia: a modified e-Delphi consensus study to inform management tailored to attitude and
control profiles. NPJ primary care respiratory medicine, 27, p.16089.
Free, C., and et.al., 2013. The effectiveness of mobile-health technology-based health behaviour
change or disease management interventions for health care consumers: a systematic
review. PLoS medicine, 10(1), p.e1001362.
Hall, A.K., Cole-Lewis, H. and Bernhardt, J.M., 2015. Mobile text messaging for health: a
systematic review of reviews. Annual review of public health, 36, pp.393-415.
Hamine, S., Gerth-Guyette, E., and Ginsburg, A.S., 2015. Impact of mHealth chronic disease
management on treatment adherence and patient outcomes: a systematic review. Journal of
medical Internet research, 17(2).
Huckvale, K., and et.al., 2012. Apps for asthma self-management: a systematic assessment of
content and tools. BMC medicine, 10(1), p.144.
Huckvale, K., and et.al., 2015. The evolution of mobile apps for asthma: an updated systematic
assessment of content and tools. BMC medicine, 13(1), p.58.
Kahn, J.G., Yang, J.S. and Kahn, J.S., 2010. ‘Mobile’health needs and opportunities in
developing countries. Health Affairs, 29(2), pp.252-258.
Kim, K., Choi, J.S., and Han, H.R., 2016. Effects of community-based health worker
interventions to improve chronic disease management and care among vulnerable
populations: a systematic review. American journal of public health, 106(4), pp.e3-e28.
O’Leary, K., and Pratt, W., 2015. Understanding patients’ health and technology attitudes for
tailoring self-management interventions. In AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings (Vol.
2015, p. 991). American Medical Informatics Association.
Pinnock, H., 2015. Supported self-management for asthma. Breathe, 11(2), p.98.
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Pinnock, H., 2015. Supported self-management for asthma. Breathe, 11(2), p.98.
Ryan, D., and et.al., 2012. Clinical and cost effectiveness of mobile phone supported self
monitoring of asthma: multicentre randomised controlled trial. Bmj, 344, p.e1756.
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behavior: Theory, research, and practice, 5, pp.43-64.
Silverberg, J.I. and Hanifin, J.M., 2013. Adult eczema prevalence and associations with asthma
and other health and demographic factors: A US population–based study. Journal of
Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 132(5), pp.1132-1138.
Taylor, L.A., and Bradley, E.H., 2016. Leveraging the social determinants of health: what
works?. PloS one, 11(8), p.e0160217.
Van Boven, J.F., and Chavannes, N.H., 2015. Towards tailored and targeted adherence
assessment to optimise asthma management. NPJ primary care respiratory medicine, 25,
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Wu, A.C., Carpenter, J.F. and Himes, B.E., 2015. Mobile health applications for asthma. The
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