Use of Digital Health in Pediatric Asthma

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by variable, reversible airway obstruction and hyper-responsive airways. In the United States, it is estimated nearly 25 million adults and children have asthma with over 4 million being children. Despite national and global asthma management guidelines, 44% of children report poor asthma control, resulting in higher health care utilization, greater number of missed work/school days, and poorer quality of life, all contributing to the United States' economic burden of more than $80 billion annually. The landscape of health care is transforming rapidly as technology advancements accelerate integration of digital health technology into patient care and management. Digital health technology uses computing platforms, connectivity, software, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensors to manage illnesses and health risks and promote wellness with a strong emphasis around personalized health care. This includes wearable devices, mobile health, telehealth, health information technology, remote monitoring, and telemedicine. A literature search on electronic monitoring for pediatric asthma was done that also included wearable devices, smart inhaler, digihaler, smart spacer, smart nebulizer, adherence monitoring, home spirometry, and symptom monitoring. The aim of this article is to review literature on how digital health technology can impact asthma care by identifying and educating about environmental triggers, prompting earlier recognition of asthma symptoms, and improving medication adherence and inhaler device technique.