Background: Telehealth has the potential to improve asthma management through regular monitoring of lung\nfunction and/or asthma symptoms by health professionals in conjunction with feedback to patients. Although the\nbenefits of telehealth for improving asthma management have been extensively studied, the feasibility of telehealth\nfor supporting asthma management in pregnant women has not been investigated. This study aims to evaluate the\nuse of telehealth for remotely monitoring lung function and optimising asthma control during pregnancy.\nMethods: A randomised controlled trial comparing usual care with a telehealth program (MASTERYÃ?©) has been\nconducted. The intervention comprised a mobile application ââ?¬â?? Breathe-easyÃ?© supported by a Bluetooth-enabled\nhandheld device (COPD-6Ã?®), which was used for self-monitoring of lung function (FEV1, FEV6) twice daily, and\nrecording asthma symptoms and medication usage weekly; and a written asthma action plan (WAAP). The primary\noutcome measure is change in asthma control measured using the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ).\nSecondary outcomes include changes in mini-Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (mAQLQ) score, lung function,\nasthma-related health visits, days off work/study, and oral corticosteroid use. Outcome data were collected at\nbaseline, 3 months and 6 months by a research assistant masked to group allocation. Maternal and neonatal\noutcomes were also collected post-partum.\nDiscussion: This is the first study to evaluate the application of telehealth to optimize asthma management in\npregnant women. If effective, this telehealth program could improve asthma self-management by pregnant women\nwhich may reduce the maternal and fetal risks of poorly controlled asthma during pregnancy.
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