Feasibility of a smartphone application based action plan and monitoring in asthma

BACKGROUND: Asthma patients may experience acute episodic exacerbation. The guidelines recommend that written action plan should be given to asthma patients. However, no one can predict when and where acute exacerbation will happen. As people carry smart phone almost anytime and anywhere, smartphone application could be a useful tool in asthma care. We evaluated the feasibility of the ubiquitous healthcare system of asthma care using a smartphone application (snuCare) based on the self-management guideline or action plan. METHODS: Forty-four patients including fragile asthmatics were enrolled from Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between December 2011 and February 2012. They were randomly assigned into application user (n = 22) or application nonuser group (n = 22). We evaluated user-satisfaction, and clinical parameters such as asthma control, Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adult Korean Asthmatics, and the adherence of patients. RESULTS: The characteristics were similar at baseline between the 2 groups except those who treated with short-term systemic steroid or increased dose of systemic steroid during previous 8 weeks (user vs. nonuser: 31.8% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.020). Total of 2,226 signals was generated during 8 weeks including 5 risky states. After eight weeks, the users answered that it was very easy to use the application, which was shown in highest scores in terms of satisfaction (mean ± standard deviation, 4.3 ± 0.56). Seventy-three percent of patients answered that the application was very useful for asthma care. User group showed improved the adherence scores (p = 0.017). One patient in application user group could avoid Emergency Department visit owing to the application while a patient in nonuser group visited Emergency Department. CONCLUSION: The ubiquitous healthcare system using a smartphone application (snuCare) based on the self-management guideline or action plan could be helpful in the monitoring and the management of asthma.

Strategic Approach for Standardization on Ubiqitous Healthcare System / 대한의료정보학회지

BACKGROUND: As ubiquitous computing is being introduced in the health care sector due to increase in elderly population and chronic patients, development in sensoring and wireless communication technologies, information technology infrastructure and computerization of health care facilities, the concept of ubiquitous health is also being introduced. In order to vitalize and spread the ubiqiutous health, standardization of related information technology must be preceded anything else. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to review status of standaridization and standard adoption in domestic and international ubiquitous health care, and propose scope of standardization, a list of nessessary standards, and strategic approaches to develop standards based on the review. METHODS: We reviewed components of ubiquitous health care system, scope of standardization in technology, application cases, and status of standard aoption based on literature search. Status of standardization of related information technology in health care domain was reviewed by domestic and international activities of related standard development organizations. Based on these review results, scope of standardization and strategic approaches to develop standards for the domestic ubiquitous health were developed and modified after consultation of expert panel. RESULTS: Status of health care information standardization is in the early stage and information technology for ubiquitous health is in the exploratory stage in Korea. Accrodingly, it is proposed to develop standards for computerization of health care facilities, health information exchange, point-of-care bio-signal measurement, smart cards, and sensor technology in order by taking different approaches such as adopt or adapt international standards or develop domestic standards and introduce them as international standards according to possession of corresponding technology by domestic vendors and maturity of dometic vendors.