BreathEasy
RTI International and Virginia Commonwealth University
Asthma is a common chronic illness that affects more than 23 million adults in the U.S. In addition to respiratory symptoms associated with the disease, individuals with asthma are also more likely to experience depression and anxiety. The BreathEasy team designed a mobile application that builds on the latest clinical guidelines for treatment and self-monitoring for patients with asthma. Patients used the application on smartphones to capture and report observations of daily living (ODLs) such as use of controller and rescue medications, symptom levels, quality of life, and smoking. Clinicians utilized a Web-based dashboard with simple analysis and visualization tools that allow them to quickly view the patients’ data, evaluate their health statuses, and communicate changes in treatment or monitoring. By providing a clearer picture of their health in everyday life, both patients and clinicians used the ODL data to make lifestyle and treatment adjustments and better manage asthma symptoms.
Interested in learning more?
- Read blog posts about this project
- Read the team's proposal (pdf)
- Meet the BreathEasy team
- Review privacy and security law analysis (pdf)
Hear from the BreathEasy Team:
"With the technologies we're developing, patients and clinicians will be able to communicate more quickly and easily and more accurately track environmental and behavioral effects on our health."
Barbara Massoudi, M.P.H., Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigator
RTI International
“As physicians, we see patients with asthma and we ask how they are doing, but we have little information about how they are really doing between office visits. This technology is one that empowers patients and helps them get more involved with their health care by reporting between visits on their asthma symptoms, triggers and use of maintenance and rescue medications. This portable technology may help us stay more connected with our asthma patients and improve their care.”
Stephen Rothemich, M.D., Co-Principal Investigator
Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Family Medicine
