Project: A4A Connected+

App for Asthma Connected Plus (A4A+): implementing Internet-of-Things (IoT) solutions to support asthma self-management

Asthma action plan and screenshots from the A4A+ Connected app, log summary data is delivered to primary practices

Self-management is more than self-monitoring

Asthma self-management is far more than logging peak flow and medication use.

Asthma attacks can be triggered by allergies (such as pollen) or viral infections and it is important that everyone with asthma knows what to do if their symptoms or peak flows show that their asthma is getting worse. An action plan, agreed with their GP or asthma nurse, is therefore a particularly important component of self-management for people with asthma.

Other self-management support includes asthma education, communication with healthcare professions, lifestyle advice, help with medication adherence and (for some people) psychological treatments, and social support.

Connected asthma technology

New technologies such as smart inhalers, smart peak flow meters, pollen or pollution sensors and other smart gadgets connect to the internet to collect and transfer data. When these emerging technologies work together to help people to manage their asthma, we called them ‘connected asthma’ technology or an internet-of-things (IoT) system’. Increasingly, artificial intelligence can use all this data and provide feedback and advice to help people and their healthcare advisors to take the right decisions.

What we know

We know that supported self-management for asthma leads to better day to day control of asthma symptoms, less time off work or school and reduces the risk of an asthma attack.

We have identified a number of technological features that could support asthma self-management in a future connected asthma system. Many people want technology to watch over them ‘silently’ (for example, using a smart inhaler which can watch how often they need rescue medication) so they don’t have to enter symptoms scores or readings every day.

Our programme of work

We aim to design and test the ‘App for Asthma plus’ (A4A+) connected asthma system. This will be an IoT system that allows people with asthma to choose which devices they connect, if/when they want to share their information (for example with their doctor or nurse), and which is flexible so that new technologies can be connected later.

We have developed a prototype ‘app’, and asked people with asthma, and clinicians for feedback on A4A+ and how they thought new connected technologies might help. We also looked at whether they trusted the ‘connected asthma’ technology to help them look after their asthma.

Want to find out more?

A4A Connected + study

Publications and research outputs

Journal articles

Hui CY, McKinstry B, Fulton O, Buchner M, Pinnock H

Patients' and Clinicians' Perceived Trust in Internet-of-Things Systems to Support Asthma Self-management: Qualitative Interview Study

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2021 Jul 16;9(7):e24127. doi: 10.2196/24127. PMID: 34269684.

Hui CY, McKinstry B, Fulton O, Buchner M, Pinnock H

Patients’ and Clinicians’ Visions of a Future Internet-of-Things System to Support Asthma Self-Management: Mixed Methods Study

J Med Internet Res 2021;23(4):e22432 doi: 10.2196/22432

Hui, C., Walton, R., McKinstry, B., Pinnock, H

Time to change the paradigm? A mixed method study of the preferred and potential features of an asthma self-management app

Health Informatics Journal. doi.org/10.1177/1460458219853381

Hui CY, McKinstry B, Walton R, Pinnock, H

Strategies to promote adoption and usage of an application to support asthma self-management: a qualitative observational study

BMJ Health & Care Informatics 2018;25: doi: 10.14236/jhi.v25i4.1056

Chi Yan Hui, Robert Walton , Brian McKinstry, Hilary Pinnock

What features do patients ‘want’ in a mobile asthma app?: a qualitative study

European Respiratory Journal Sep 2017, 50 (suppl 61) PA3874; DOI: 10.1183/1393003.congress-2017.PA3874

Chi Yan Hui, Robert Walton, Brian McKinstry, Tracy Jackson, Richard Parker, Hilary Pinnock

The use of mobile applications to support self-management for people with asthma: a systematic review of controlled studies to identify features associated with clinical effectiveness and adherence

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, Volume 24, Issue 3, May 2017, Pages 619–632, DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocw143

Conferences

Hui, CY, Walton, R, McKinstry, B, Vasileiou, E & Pinnock, H 2017,

What do people with asthma want to see in an asthma self-management app? A review of views expressed in online social discussion forums

Paper presented at Health Informatics Conference 2017, Edinburgh, 3 October 2017 - 4 October 2017.

Key People

Professor Hilary Pinnock is the Principal Investigator and Dr Io Hui is the Co-Principal Investigator in this project. The team is supported by Professor Brian McKinstry, Mark Buchner (technology partner), Olivia Fulton (patient advisor), Susannah McLean (healthcare professional advisor) and Christopher Carlin (healthcare professional advisor), Simon Chapple (IoT advisor).

	Hilary Pinnock		Io Chi-Yan Hui
	Principal Investigator		Research Fellow
	Based at: University of Edinburgh		Based at: University of Edinburgh
	Hilary's Profile		Io's Profile
	Brian McKinstry		Mark Buchner
	Professor of Primary Care E-Health		Managing Director, Tactuum
	Based at: University of Edinburgh		Tactuum Website
	Brian's Profile
	Christopher Carlin
	Consultant Physician and NHS Research Scotland Senior Investigator, Respiratory Medicine, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
	Christopher's Google Scholar Profile

Device Collaborators

We thank Medical International Research and Smart Respiratory Products Ltd who provided devices for this research, and Findair and Polar Electro (UK) Ltd who provided API support.