Over 22 million U.S. adults ages 18 and older have asthma, while about 4.5 million children under the age of 18 live with asthma. Asthma causes inflammation and swelling of the airways and narrows the large and small airways that carry air from the nose and mouth to the lungs. Managing pediatric asthma care outside of clinical settings can be a challenge and often requires close observation.
This article explores research into remote patient monitoring technologies for pediatric asthma care. It provides an overall understanding of how these technologies can impact clinical outcomes such as healthcare utilization and quality of life for pediatric asthma patients.
Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Asthma Care
Recurrent wheezing is a common manifestation of asthma in younger children. Pediatric asthma care management involves routine outpatient clinic visits, but its episodic nature can make it difficult to address exacerbations and adjust medication promptly. Asthma remote patient monitoring allows patients and caregivers to track and monitor changes in airflow with devices such as a remote peak flow meter. once a measurement is taken with a peak flow meter device, it is transmitted to their physician for review.
Remote monitoring has shown potential in managing chronic conditions in adults, and there is growing interest in leveraging these technologies for pediatric asthma. A systematic review published in Pediatric Pulmonology provides an overview of telemonitoring technologies used for pediatric asthma care in outpatient settings. The researchers included 40 articles describing 40 different telemonitoring technologies for monitoring asthma in children remotely.
Improving Technology for Pediatric Asthma Care
Researchers found that studies before 2015 relied on home devices and peripheral equipment for pediatric asthma care, while recent technologies have shifted towards user-friendly mobile apps and web-based systems. Most technologies in the analysis were directed toward school-age children and adolescents. The research showed that very few telemonitoring systems are designed specifically for preschool-aged children.
Additionally many of the studies show that patients and caregivers are often provided with little training and education on how to use telemonitoring technology. This lack of information can impact measurement and treatment adherence. Ongoing technical support was also rarely mentioned despite being crucial for successful adoption. Researchers suggest that to improve RPM technology for pediatric patients it may be beneficial to involve caregiver and pediatric patients in co-designing child—and family-friendly interfaces.
Patient and Healthcare Professional Feedback
The studies showed that many technologies offer features that can in fact promote patient engagement and a better understanding of asthma. These features include automatic displays and treatment feedback on asthma control levels and treatment recommendations. Added features can help patients and caregivers but they also help reduce burdens on healthcare resources.
Balancing provider accessibility with potential workload burdens remains a challenge. However, several studies explored the use of healthcare provider dashboards for remote patient data monitoring. RPM platforms are increasingly used for care coordination, prevention, and timely intervention. RPM platforms and dashboards facilitate and improve direct communication between caregivers and their healthcare team. Using digital technology for pediatric asthma care allows healthcare teams to determine when patients can be managed remotely or if an in-person visit is needed.
Understanding Pediatric Asthma Care and Remote Patient Monitoring
Most of the 40 studies demonstrated the positive impacts of telemonitoring in pediatric asthma care and clinical outcomes like healthcare utilization and quality of life. This review highlights key trends, challenges, and opportunities in developing practical, user-friendly, and clinically robust solutions for pediatric asthma management. Addressing identified gaps, particularly for the preschool population and training on devices, could drive more meaningful understanding, use of devices, and engagement in RPM for asthma care management.
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