Evaluation of AllergiSense Smartphone Tools for Adrenaline Injection Training

Abstract

Abstract--Anaphylaxis is an increasingly prevalent lifethreatening allergic condition that requires people with anaphylaxis and their caregivers to be trained in the avoidance of allergen triggers and in the administration of adrenaline autoinjectors. The prompt and correct administration of autoinjectors in the event of an anaphylactic reaction is a significant challenge in the management of anaphylaxis. Unfortunately, many people do not know how to use auto-injectors and either fail to use them or fail to use them correctly. This is due in part to deficiencies in training and also to the lack of a system encouraging continuous practice with feedback. Assistive smartphone healthcare technologies have demonstrated potential to support the management of chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but there have been deficiencies in their evaluation and there has been a lack of application to anaphylaxis. This paper describes AllergiSense, a smartphone app and sensing system for anaphylaxis management, and presents the results of a randomized, controlled, pre-post evaluation of AllergiSense injection training and feedback tools with healthy participants. Participants whose training was supplemented with AllergiSense injection feedback achieved significantly better practiced injections with 90.5% performing correct injections compared to only 28.6% in the paper-only control group. In addition, the results provide insights into possible self-efficacy failings in traditional training and the benefits of embedding self-efficacy theory into the technology design process.

The role of mobile health technologies in allergy care: An EAACI position paper

“…Very few apps had been clinically validated and many were not based on guidelines or clinical evidence. Since then, various studies have evaluated the advantages, usability, efficiency, and risks of mobile health technologies in allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and anaphylaxis …”

“…This can be used as a base for warning systems of potentially dangerous insects. Moreover, mHealth can serve to communicate with emergency departments or authorities in isolated regions or when no help is present in case of a potentially severe allergic reaction . mHealth also might help to record and identify the culprit insect after a stinging event.…”

“…Moreover, mHealth can serve to communicate with emergency departments or authorities in isolated regions or when no help is present in case of a potentially severe allergic reaction. 13…”

Avoiding Reactions Outside the Home: Challenges, Strategies, and Opportunities to Enhance Dining Out Experiences of People with Food Hypersensitivities

“…However, managing the medication can be burdensome, and people often do not have experiences with injections. To support better training with adrenaline injection in an emergency, Hernandez-Munoz and colleagues designed AllergieSense that provides step-by-step training with sensors detecting injection procedures [43]. In a two-week deployment, they found that training with sensing support improved injection training skills and individual self-efficacy.…”

Exploring Challenges and Opportunities to Support People with Food Allergies to Find Safe Places for Eating Out

“…In addition, Davidson et al (2017) explored React, a mobile application which used video-based anaphylaxis narratives to illustrate to young people how different selfmanagement choices may have different consequences. Similarly, Hernandez-Munoz et al (2017) presents AllergieSense, a smartphone application and sensing system for emergency preparedness to manage anaphylaxis reactions. It includes a list of videos about anaphylaxis and symptoms which provide important information to the user in a convenient manner.…”