InSpire to Promote Lung Assessment in Youth: Evolving the Self-Management Paradigms of Young People With Asthma

• DOI: 10.2196/med20.2014
• Publication Date: 2013-05-21T13:47:52Z
• Authors: Pierre Elias; Nithin O Rajan; Kara McArthur; Clifford C Dacso
• Keywords: Spirometer; Disadvantaged

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood, disproportionately affecting urban, minority, and disadvantaged children. Individualized care plans supported by daily lung-function monitoring can reduce morbidity mortality. However, despite 20 years of interventions to increase adherence, only 50% US youth accurately follow their plans, which leads millions preventable hospitalizations, emergency room visits, sick days every year. We present a feasibility study novel, user-centered approach increasing young people's asthma self-care. Promoting Lung Assessment Youth (PLAY) helps people become active managers through Web 2.0 principles participation, cocreation, information sharing. Specifically, PLAY combines an inexpensive, portable spirometer with motivational power convenience mobile phones virtual-community gaming.