Sensor-enabled smartphone support for teens with asthma
Optimizing a Sensor-Enabled mHealth Intervention for Adolescents with Suboptimal Asthma Control
A smartphone app with inhaler sensors and tailored, moment-by-moment support to help teens with poorly controlled asthma take their meds and manage symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Lawrence NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lawrence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11193771 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a teen with asthma, this project pairs a smartphone app with small sensors that detect inhaler use and a Smarthub that sends data in real time. Cloud-based algorithms use that data to deliver personalized goal-setting, feedback, reminders, and problem-solving prompts when you need them. The team will refine how the app adapts to each youth's changing emotions, routines, and barriers to taking medication. The work builds on an earlier ReACT system and focuses on making the support more responsive and easier for teens to use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adolescents with asthma who struggle with medication adherence and who can use an Android smartphone (and agree to use small inhaler sensors) would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Younger children, adults, people whose asthma is already well controlled, or those without smartphone access or unwilling to use sensors are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help teens take inhaled medications more reliably, reduce flare-ups, and improve daily asthma control and quality of life.
How similar studies have performed: Previous mHealth work and the team's prior ReACT project have shown promise for sensor-based reminders and behavioral support, but fully adaptive, personalized systems for teens remain relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Lawrence, United States
- University of Kansas Lawrence — Lawrence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cushing, Christopher C — University of Kansas Lawrence
- Study coordinator: Cushing, Christopher C
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.