Research Projects

Bronchial asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease and is estimated to have affected approximately 358 million people worldwide in 2015. Considering the Indian scenario with a 2% prevalence of asthma there are several barriers for effective asthma care such as lack of knowledge about the disease, misconceptions like permanent cure, negligence in drug intake like using medication only in case of exacerbations, dislike for inhalation drugs and preference for complementary therapies. Despite positive effects, the implementation of such patient education/self-management programmes is poor in the clinical settings and is underutilized by the patients, which calls for innovative approaches like using information technology to deliver such programmes. Recent advancements in technology, i.e., personal digital devices like smartphone, tablet or computer could serve as a platform for the delivery of self-management education that is highly customisable, low-cost and easily accessible. Several studies have been conducted across the world to assess the role of smartphone apps as a medium to deliver self-management interventions to patients with asthma. However, none are from the Indian setting. Systematic reviews suggest that the available evidence is insufficient to advise clinicians, policy-makers and the general public with regards to the effectiveness of technology-based educational interventions for the delivery of asthma self-management and the need to fill this gap in knowledge considering the potential benefits. This study will develop and validate the content for asthma self-management education applicable to the Indian setting. This study will assess the feasibility of a culturally relevant mobile health application (mHealth)-based asthma self-management education programme suitable for the Indian healthcare setting. This study will assess the clinical efficiency (asthma control and asthma-related quality of life) and cost-effectiveness of mHealth-based asthma self-management educational interventions.