A consumer designed smartphone app for young people with asthma: pilot of engagement and acceptability

Abstract

Objective: This pilot aimed to test the engagement, acceptability, and usefulness of a goal-setting smartphone app, Kiss myAsthma, in young people with asthma. Methods: Young people aged 15–24 years old were invited to trial a smartphone app for asthma management. A mixed-methods approach combined quantitative analysis of self-report questionnaires and app usage log data with qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended questions at baseline and six weeks after downloading the app. App log data (pages visited, frequency of use and content of participants interaction, e.g.goals set, symptoms recorded) were analyzed. Results: Nine of 12 participants completed both baseline and six-week questionnaires. Participants reported high satisfaction with app content and usability (median score 5 out of 6 [range 4–6]) and rated the app highly on “feeling confident in my ability to manage my asthma.” At six weeks there was a clinically significant change in asthma quality of life (e.g. Emotional Function domain score baseline: 4.7 [2.7–6.3], follow-up: 5.7 [4.7–6.7]; p = 0.043). Participants logged information about asthma severity, flare-ups and mood and tracked their symptoms with the app’s History functionality. Five participants (42%) nominated goals and strategies and 3 participants (25%) entered data in the Inspiration section, a tool to support intrinsic motivation to manage asthma. Qualitative data aligned with quantitative results. Conclusions: This six-week pilot of the Kiss myAsthma app showed its potential to support self-management, quality of life and health behavior change in young people with asthma.