Digital Health Technologies in Young Children with Wheeze or Asthma
摘要
Introduction: Wheezing is a common condition affecting over 50% of children prior to their sixth birthday. Wheezing disorders can develop into asthma and both conditions, despite treatment, can generate a high disease-related morbidity (ED visits, hospitalizations). Improved therapy adherence and self-management impact patient outcomes positively. While the interest in digital health solutions in the everyday life of wheezing and asthmatic children is growing, evidence regarding their effectiveness is unclear. Objective: To summarize available information on digital health technologies for young children with wheeze and their potential role in the disease management of pediatric conditions. Methods: A literature search on PubMed database was conducted, as well as an additional screening of 4 other publications for fitting reviews. The search terms “wheeze OR asthma, infants OR children, mobile OR digital” were used, as well as the “last 10 years” filter applied. Studies were included if they focused on a digital health intervention tested in children up to 12 years with an asthma or wheeze diagnosis. Results: After full-text screening, 36 studies were included in the review, covering different categories of digital health interventions such as smart devices, telemedicine, Apps, gamification, and multi-component digital interventions in young children with wheeze. Conclusion: Digital health interventions show substantial potential in various subcategories and settings of pediatric asthma and wheeze management. Future research focused on standardized disease outcomes, larger patient populations, and randomization is vital to make a widespread integration into routine clinical asthma or wheeze disease management possible.