AUTHOR=Bocian Ilan Y. , Chin Andrew R. , Rodriguez Alyssa , Collins William , Sindher Sayantani B. , Chinthrajah R. Sharon 

TITLE=Asthma management in the digital age

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Allergy

VOLUME=Volume 5 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/allergy/articles/10.3389/falgy.2024.1451768

DOI=10.3389/falgy.2024.1451768

ISSN=2673-6101

ABSTRACT=Asthma affects 25 million people in the United States, and its prevalence is increasing. Access to care and adherence to prescribed asthma-treatment programs remain the principal formidable challenges for asthma management. Telemedicine offers substantial opportunities for improved asthma care of patients across the full range of socioeconomic strata. Ever-improving digital tools for asthma assessment and treatment are key components of telemedicine platforms for asthma management. These include a variety of remote patient-monitoring devices, digital inhaler systems, and mobile-health applications that facilitate ongoing assessment and adherence to treatment protocols. Digital tools for monitoring treatment focus on tracking medication use, inhalation technique, and physiological markers such as peak-flow rate and pulse-oximetry. Telemedicine visits allow for elements of assessment via video, approximating or duplicating many aspects of in-person visits, such as evaluating a patient's general appearance, breathing effort, and cough. Challenges remain in ensuring equitable access to these technologies, especially in rural and low-income areas, and in maintaining patient privacy and data security in digital platforms.