RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Digital Technologies and Adherence in Respiratory Diseases: The Road Ahead
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 1801147
DO 10.1183/13993003.01147-2018
A1 John D. Blakey
A1 Bruce G. Bender
A1 Alexandra L. Dima
A1 John Weinman
A1 Guilherme Safioti
A1 Richard W. Costello
YR 2018
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2018/09/27/13993003.01147-2018.abstract
AB Outcomes for patients with chronic respiratory diseases remain poor despite the development of novel therapies. In part, this reflects the fact that adherence to therapy is low, and clinicians lack accurate methods to assess this issue. Digital technologies hold promise to overcome these barriers to care. For example, algorithmic analysis of large amounts of information collected on health status and treatment use, along with other disease relevant information such as environmental data, can be used to help guide personalised interventions that may have a positive health impact, such as establishing habitual and correct inhaler use. Novel approaches to data analysis also offer the possibility of statistical algorithms that are better able to predict exacerbations, thereby creating opportunities for preventive interventions that may adapt therapy as disease activity changes. To realise these possibilities, digital approaches to disease management should be supported by strong evidence, have a solid infrastructure, be designed collaboratively as clinically effective and cost-effective systems, and reflect the needs of patients and health care providers. Regulatory standards for digital interventions and strategies to handle the large amounts of data generated are also needed. This review highlights the opportunities provided by digital technologies for managing patients with respiratory diseases.FootnotesThis manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.Conflict of interest: Dr. Blakey reports personal fees from GSK, personal fees and non-financial support from Napp, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees and non-financial support from Astra-Zeneca, personal fees and non-financial support from Boehringer Ingelheim, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. Bender has nothing to disclose.Conflict of interest: Dr. Dima reports grants and non-financial support from Respiratory Effectiveness Group, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. Weinman reports personal fees from Atlantis Healthcare, grants from Merck, personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees from Chugai/Roche, personal fees from Ferring, personal fees from Sanofi, personal fees from Teva, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. Safioti reports he is an employee of the study sponsor.Conflict of interest: Dr. Costello has a patent Acoustic to identify inhaler use pending.