An app to assist with asthma self-management could save the NHS up to £25million in a year if it were used by 100,000 patients for three months, a report finds.
The digital asthma tool could also help tackle health inequalities, with 54% of users from deprived communities, according to the evaluation by UCLPartners.
The Digital Health Passport (DHP) – an asthma/allergy self-management app designed for teenagers, young adults, and the parents/carers of pre-teens – is designed to make it easier for patients to monitor and control their condition.
The evaluation of the digital tool found that the 1,106 users had an average increase of 2.24 points in their Asthma Control Test (ACT) score.
By improving asthma control, the report said DHP could result in fewer out-of-hours and emergency appointments and fewer face-to-face annual reviews.
And the reduced healthcare cost as a result of enhanced asthma control has a potential return on investment of £9.28 for every £1 spent over three years, the report said.
DHP rollout is currently at ‘Level 1’, which means the app links to regional services and resources but is not interoperable with other NHS digital services, such as the NHS app, local shared care records, or individual practice systems.
The app, which has been created by Tiny Medical Apps, focuses on achieving better asthma outcomes by optimising the delivery of the key elements of the asthma care pathway, specifically for children and young people.
This includes making asthma plans smarter with signposting from symptom trackers and improving medication adherence by ordering repeat prescriptions within the app, automated medication reminders, inhaler videos and tracking diaries.
The digital asthma tool also helps patients avoid triggers with air quality alerts and personalised allergy education. And it improves knowledge about asthma by focusing on seven core learning modules and regular reinforcement.
The study also highlighted that TikTok had been particularly effective in engaging young people, demonstrating the importance of targeted digital outreach.
In September, health secretary Wes Streeting committed to strategic shifts for the NHS, which included a move from analogue to digital.
