Digital action plan for asthma exacerbations (PANAME)

Background. - A written action plan (WAP) reduces emergency visits for asthma exacerbations. However, a WAP is underused and often focused on asthma control. The innovation is an AppWeb that includes an expert software aimed at diagnosing the level of severity of asthma exacerbations and delivering a personalized digital action plan (DAP) when patients are in urgent need of medical advice. Symptoms describing the level of severity of asthma exacerbations and the consequent treatments have been established by working groups of the French Respiratory Societies (SPLF and SP2A for adults and children, respectively). The main objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of the DAP on the frequency of urgent medical attendance. Secondary objectives are to evaluate adherence to the DAP compared to a WAP and the qualitative satisfaction of patients using the DAP. Methodology. - A randomized, prospective, comparative, multicenter study on two parallel groups, conducted in private practice and in hospitals. In both arms, asthmatic patients (240 children aged 6 to 12 years and 270 adults aged 18 to 50 years) with severe asthma exacerbation(s) during the previous year and an Internet connection via a smartphone or a tablet computer, will have at their disposal a WAP and one arm will have, in addition, the DAP. Included patients will be followed up every three months for one year. Expected results. - A decrease in the number of urgent medical attendances and better adherence in the WAP + DAP group compared to the WAP group. (C) 2017 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.