Monitoring respiratory function with telemedicine devices in asthmatic children

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Paediatric asthma poses an increasing challenge to healthcare systems. Monitoring the respiratory symptoms of the disease currently requires personal patient-physician contact. The development of telemedicine allows regular home lung function testing, early detection of asthma exacerbations, and improved therapy. We aimed to assess the feasibility of telespirometry and the reliability of home measurements. <bold>Methods:</bold> Children with moderate asthma (n=11, 8-17 years) and their relatives were educated by a pulmonologist and performed home measurements at least 4 times a week. Mobile app determined the forced vital capacity (FVC), expiratory volume in the first second (FEV₁) and peak expiratory flow (PEF), and then transmitted the results to the clinical cloud. <bold>Results:</bold> 82.9% (FVC) and 86.7% (FEV₁) of all home measurements met the acceptance criteria of the international guidelines. The values in the lung function lab were significantly lower for PEF (18.4±23.7%, p<0.05) compared to first home measurements, whereas FEV₁, FEV₁/FVC and FVC showed concordance. The standard deviation values indicating the reliability of spirometry results showed a significant correlation with total number of home measurements (R=0.55 and 0.65 for FVC and FEV₁, p<0.05). <bold>Discussion:</bold> Telespirometry is feasible for home monitoring of lung function in asthmatic children and can reduce the number of visits to a specialist, risk of infection, absence from school and work. The difference in peak flow measured at home and lung function labs highlights the importance of patient education, and the reliabilities indicate the need for frequent assessments. Funding: OTKA-NKFIH K138032