What You Should Know:
– New study out from Propeller and Chicago’s NorthShore
University HealthSystem shows that asthma patients maintain higher medication
adherence and decrease their rescue inhaler use when using a digital health
platform.
– The study looked at 100 patients recruited from
NorthShore practices, half of whom used Propeller to manage their condition and
half of whom did not.
– The treatment group maintained their high medication adherence at 68%, while the control group experienced a 17% decline in adherence over the course of the study. The treatment group also increased days without needing their rescue inhaler by 19%, 13% more than in the control group.
Patients using Propeller
Health’s digital
health platform to manage their asthma experienced a significant decline in
rescue inhaler use and higher medication adherence rates compared to patients
not using the platform, according to a new
randomized controlled trial published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology: In Practice by researchers from Propeller and NorthShore University HealthSystem. The study
reveals maintained their high medication adherence at 68%, while the control
group experienced a 17% decline in adherence over the course of the study
Poor adherence to asthma medication and overuse of rescue
inhalers have both been associated with increased asthma morbidity in previous
research. Studies reveal that patients often overestimate their level of
adherence to their clinician, leading to costly treatments that may not be
appropriate or necessary to curb symptoms.
Randomized Clinical Trial Details
The published study features a randomized controlled trial
that enrolled 100 patients with uncontrolled asthma, 25 to 65 years of age.
Patients were recruited between April 2018 and 2019 from allergist and
pulmonologist practices at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Chicago. Treatment
and control group participants were both attached a small sensor to their
controller and rescue inhalers. The treatment group received insights on their
medication use in the Propeller app, including reminders to take missed or late
doses and reports on their usage and possible triggers.
Utilizing Propeller’s digital health platform, clinicians
had had access to the treatment patients’ controller and rescue medication
data. If patient utilization indicated poor adherence or worsening control,
patients were contacted to address adherence and review asthma control status. The
control group’s medication use was remotely monitored, but they did not receive
insights in the app or outreach from providers.
Clinical Trial Outcomes/Results
The study’s treatment group maintained its high medication adherence at 68%, while the control group experienced a 17% decline in adherence over the course of the study. In addition, Propeller users’ days without needing their rescue inhaler increased 19% in the treatment group, 13% more than in the control group.
“Increasing adherence and reducing rescue use are critical to improving the health and well-being of asthma patients,” said Giselle Monsaim, MD, lead author of the study and attending physician in the Departments of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Immunology at NorthShore University HealthSystem. “We’re pleased to add to the body of research that shows digital health can play an important role in maintaining high adherence rates and increasing days without symptoms for people with asthma.”