Telehome monitoring of symptoms and lung function in children with asthma

Abstract

Background: The ability to perceive bronchial obstruction is variable in asthma. This is one of the main causes of inaccurate asthma control assessment, on which therapeutic strategies are based. Objective: Primary: To evaluate the ability of a clinical and spirometric telemonitoring device to characterize symptom perception profile in asthmatic children. Secondary: To evaluate its impact on asthma management (control, treatment, respiratory function variability) and the acceptability of this telemonitoring system. Method: 26 asthmatic children aged 6-18 years equipped with a portable spirometer and a smartphone application were monitored remotely for 3 months. Clinical and spirometric data were automatically transmitted to a secure internet platform. A medical team contacted the patient to optimize management. Three physicians blindly and independently classified the patients according to their perception profile. The impact of telemonitoring on the quantitative data was assessed at the beginning (T0) and end (T3 months) of telemonitoring, using matched statistical tests. Results: Patients could initially be classified according to their perception profile, with a concordance between the 3 observers of 64% (kappa coefficient: 0.55, 95%CI [0.39; 0.71]). After further discussion, a consensus was reached and resulted in 97% concordance (kappa coefficient: 0.97, 95%CI [0.91; 1.00]). There was a trend towards improvement in the ACT score, and a significant > 40% decrease in FEV1 and PEF variability, with good acceptance of the device. Conclusion: Clinical and spirometric telehome monitoring is applicable and can help define the perception profile of bronchial obstruction in asthmatic children. The device was generally well accepted.