Asthmapolis was developed to improve the management of asthma for both patients and health care professionals. Despite recent advancements in understanding the disease, mortality rates from asthma have ceased to fall. Using specialized inhaler sensors that are linked to mobile and internet applications, Asthmapolis has created a way to objectively track asthma flare-ups in real time and record the location in which they occur.
As part of the Asthmapolis push for smarter management of asthma, the program centers around Asthmapolis Medication Sensors: small devices that attach to the average inhaler that both track the time and pinpoint the location at which the medication was used. Patients can use their phones to track their progress or access the same information online. Asthmapolis’ goals include: assessing frequency and patterns of symptoms, identifying patients who are worsening and need intervention, strengthening patient-clinician communication, encouraging adherence with daily medications, and improving self-management.
Studies funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that using the Asthmapolis system greatly improved patients’ asthma control. The study reported that uncontrolled asthma declined 50 percent, while more than 70 percent of patients who participated in the study improved their level of control over the disease. With an improved control and management of asthma, patients can expect to reduce costs by 25 percent. With this promising innovation, communication between patients and physicians will increase, costs of managing the disease will be reduced, while greater awareness of how to manage the disease will increase.
What is Asthmapolis?
