Inhaler Technology Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving asthma treatment using inhaler technology
IRAS ID
193750
Contact name
Dominick Shaw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
The development of inhaler monitoring technology has enabled automated capture of real time data allowing us to explore patterns of inhaler use and to relate this to other important factors related with asthma control, rather than relying on questionnaires and prescription counting to determine asthma treatment and adherence. When an electronic monitor is combined with a smart phone, the place of activation can also be obtained allowing other data streams to be collated, including weather, temperature, pollution exposure, traffic exposure, pollen/fungal exposure and patterns of viral infection in the environment, however, this will not be part of this particular study.
We will recruit 50 patients, all of whom have had an asthma exacerbation in the past 12 months, and issue them with monitors to be attached to both their short acting bronchodilators (SABA) and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and follow them for six months.
We will assess whether this technology is patient friendly and cost effective in three main areas of asthma care; adherence, treatment decisions, and the prediction and prevention of asthma exacerbations. We intend to improve adherence, treatment decision making and patient self-management.
REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1693
Date of REC Opinion
8 Sep 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion