Mobile Health for Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Respiratory Disease (mBreatheFreely)

Overview

The use of mobile technology including short message service (SMS), mobile phone applications (apps), and telemedicine is increasingly considered as a way to improve access to prevention, diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. As a result, mHealth is increasingly promoted as a strategy to support self-management of both asthma and COPD.

The mBreatheFreely programme was designed as a population-based programme that uses mHealth to provide health information and support to people living with asthma and COPD. The main target populations are persons with asthma or COPD (diagnosed and undiagnosed), persons with risk factors for asthma or COPD (e.g., smoking, biomass smoke exposure), health care workers, and caregivers (e.g., parents of children) of persons with asthma or COPD.