Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in Europe, but if affects each patient differently. MyAirCoach project seeks to merge mobile health potential to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare with the daily needs of chronic asthma patients. The project counts on an Advisory Patient Forum (APF), a group of expert patients involved in the development of myAirCoach.
Funded by the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation framework programme, MyAirCoach aims to develop a patient-friendly, sensor-based tool to collect clinical, environmental and behavioural data relating to the patient.
The project stands for “Analysis, modelling and sensing of both physiological and environmental factors for the customized and predictive self-management of Asthma” as the place where patients live, work, the weather, season, age and even emotions (for example work-related stress) impact the disease symptoms.
Asthma changes constantly along with patients’ life, making it compulsory to adjust treatments accordingly. MyAirCoach measurements serve as the basis for a digital model that will enable the medical and research community to make accurate predictions of the patient’s disease progression.
The project is led by the “Centre for Research and Technology Hellas” (Thessaloniki, Greece) that is working together with three research centres, three academic organisations, four private small and medium enterprises and two patient organisations.
EFA’s Involvement
EFA coordinates the dissemination of myAirCoach activities and promotes findings and results among patients and the general public. Relevant dissemination material includes themyAirCoach project leaflet and myAirCoach journalistic description.
EFA also co-chairs a Patient Representatives Board and co-hosts a dedicated Advisory Patient Forum (APF) together with EFA member Asthma UK. The APF is formed by volunteer patients who are in continuous communication with the researchers. This forum ensures that patients’ needs are taken into account for the entire project to assure the disease management models address users’ specific needs and will be understandable for its lay target group.
EFA activities on myAirCoach have been the following:
- Share myAirCoach experience through our representation in the European Commission Working Group on mHealth assessment, where EFA is Member.
- Promote myAirCoach in key specialized conferences: European Respiratory Society Congress, Drug Delivery to the Lungs Conference, International Society for Aerosols in Medicine (ISAM), eHealth Forum, eHealth Week
- Advisory Patients Forum blog: the parents’ perspective on mHealth use by teenagers and an asthma patient testimony about myAirCoach
- 2015 World Asthma Day Press Release