App halves hospital admissions in children with asthma Asthma symptoms better controlled thanks to Luchtbrug app

Children with asthma who use the Luchtbrug app have half the risk of visiting the emergency department or being admitted to the hospital. They also need fewer follow-up appointments at the hospital, while their asthma remains well controlled. This is shown by a study involving more than 2,500 children, led by Radboud university medical center.

Asthma affects ten percent of European children, making it the most common chronic childhood disease. Children with asthma experience breathing difficulties and can become severely short of breath. Some children become so breathless that hospitalization is necessary. To prevent this, children must not only take medication but also know exactly what to do when symptoms worsen.

Researchers at Radboudumc are working on digital tools to help children with asthma. 'We developed the Luchtbrug app. With this app, children can track their symptoms and see when to take which medication', says Jolt Roukema, pediatric pulmonologist at Radboudumc Amalia Children’s Hospital. 'Our goal is to make treatment better and easier, so children experience fewer symptoms and need fewer hospital visits.'

Fewer hospital visits

A large study now shows that children with asthma who use this app need fewer outpatient and hospital visits than children without the app. In addition, the risk of emergency visits and hospital admissions is fifty percent lower for children using Luchtbrug. After three years of using the app, researchers found that symptoms were well controlled in 86% of children, compared to 77% at the start.

The study included 2,526 children with asthma across six Dutch hospitals. The children were between six and eighteen years old. About half used Luchtbrug, the other half did not. Researchers followed the children for three years.

Managing asthma

Researchers had previously shown benefits of the app, but that was in a highly controlled study. Now, the app has been used for years in routine care. PhD candidate Marc Oppelaar explains: 'After the first successful study, we were able to implement Luchtbrug on a large scale for use in regular care. That’s much more complex and messy than in a controlled trial. This gave us a unique opportunity to study how the app works in practice. It’s an important step in the digital transformation of healthcare systems.'

According to Oppelaar, the app helps children and families manage asthma better. 'Luchtbrug is not a new medicine; it won’t make asthma disappear. Living with a chronic disease can be challenging, especially for children and their parents. Luchtbrug can provide very effective support. This leads to better treatment outcomes and sustainable self-management skills. In addition, the app alerts the hospital if a child’s symptoms worsen, so doctors and nurses can reach out and adjust treatment when needed.'

About the publication

This research was published in Pediatric Pulmonology: Remote monitoring is associated with less routine and emergency care in paediatric asthma. M.C. Oppelaar, P.J.M. Kleven, L.E.M. Niers, A.L.M. Boehmer, B.E. van Ewijk, E.A. Croonen, S.C. Hammer, P.J.F.M. Merkus, L.S. van den Wijngaart, M.M.H.J. van Gelder, J. Roukema. DOI: 10.1002/ppul.71417.

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