The applications of eHealth technologies in the management of asthma and allergic diseases

Abstract

Portable devices, such as smartphones and mobile Internet access have become ubiquitous in the last decades. The term ‘eHealth’ stands for electronic health. The tools included in the eHealth concept utilize phones, computers and the Internet and related applications to improve the health care industry. Implementation of eHealth technologies has been documented for the management of different chronic diseases, including asthma and allergic conditions. Clinicians and patients have gained opportunity to communicate in new ways, which could be used cost‐effectively to improve disease control and quality of life of those affected. Additionally, these innovations bring new opportunities to academic researchers. For example, eHealth has allowed researchers to compile data points that were previously unavailable or difficult to access, and analyse them using novel tools, collectively described as ‘big data’. The role of eHealth become more important since early 2020, due to the physical distancing rules and the restrictions on mobility that have been applied worldwide as a response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. In this review, we summarize the most recent developments in various eHealth platforms and their relevance to the speciality of allergy and immunology, from the point of view of three major stakeholders: clinicians, patients and researchers.

Digitally‐enabled, patient‐centred care in rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity: The ARIA‐MASK‐air®approach

“…There is a need to support the transformation of the healthcare system into integrated care with organisational health literacy. Smart devices and Internet‐based applications (apps) are largely used in AR 1 and may help to address some of the unmet needs in the real‐life assessment of patients' treatment choices and disease control. However, these new tools first of all need to be tested for privacy rules, acceptability, usability, validity and cost‐effectiveness.…”

Effectiveness and usability of the system for assessment and intervention of frailty for community-dwelling pre-frail older adults: A pilot study

“…In recent years, emerging technological innovations have transformed the healthcare landscape by providing new opportunities to improve the management of chronic diseases for seniors ( 11 , 12 ). Similarly, in the context of frailty, there is emerging evidence from small-scale studies supporting the benefit of technology-related intervention studies in pre-frail older adults.…”

Digital health for allergen immunotherapy

“…As underdiagnosed and undertreated allergic rhinitis not only represents a significant burden with regard to quality of life but also in terms of economic impact, it is desirable to improve the access of patients with symptoms to a proper diagnostic work-up [ 22 ]. Possible solutions can be broadly available symptom assessment apps [ 23 , 24 ], digital diaries indicating a potential correlation between symptoms and exposure [ 24 , 25 ], as well as clinical decision support systems for primary care doctors and specialists [ 26 , 27 ]. Examples of validated symptom and exposure monitoring apps are: MASK-Air [ 19 , 20 , 25 , 28 ], Hay Fever Diary /Pollen App [ 29 ], and AllergyMonitor [ 24 ].…”

“…Examples of validated symptom and exposure monitoring apps are: MASK-Air [ 19 , 20 , 25 , 28 ], Hay Fever Diary /Pollen App [ 29 ], and AllergyMonitor [ 24 ]. While general guidance of users via mobile applications analyzing the clinical history and giving (mostly probabilistic) estimations of a potential pre-diagnosis can guide patients to contact a healthcare professional instead of self-medicating [ 30 ], symptom diaries enable the precise and prospective collection of symptoms in preparation for the doctor’s visit [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. At the primary contact point between patients and healthcare professionals, usually at primary care facilities, general practitioners and pediatricians may be supported by clinical decision support systems (CDSS) in the decision on diagnostic procedures and referral [ 31 , 32 ].…”