Patient Research In Self-Management of Asthma (PRISMA)
Patient Research In Self-Management of Asthma (PRISMA)
The objective of this study was to investigate if a nurse-led telemonitoring programme is
 effective and cost-effective in asthmatic outpatients, aged seven years and older.
At the present day asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses worldwide and the
 prevalence is still increasing. Asthma can be treated and controlled with guidance of health
 care professionals, and self-monitoring is an important aspect in this control.

 Respiratory nurses have become common caregivers in the treatment and control of asthma.
 Advances in information and communication technology have created the potential to monitor
 the asthma status of patients at a distance, named telemonitoring. These two developments
 come together in nurse-led telemonitoring programmes. Lung function tests, from which the
 peak expiratory flow (PEF) is the most commonly used, are recorded into an electronic
 monitor. By transferring monitor data to a central database a nurse can continuously
 supervise the disease status of individual patients. The use of stepwise protocols can enable
 nurses to independently adjust the medication by one step.

 Design: Randomized controlled trial comparing a nurse-led telemonitoring programme versus
 regular care in asthmatic outpatients aged 7 years and older.

 Primary outcome parameter: asthma-specific quality of life. Secondary outcome parameters:
 symptoms, generic quality of life, direct and indirect costs, satisfaction.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  7 years or older

 -  Asthma severity of stage I - III as described in the GINA guidelines

 -  Must be competent to use an asthma monitor

 -  Must possess a household phone connection

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Respiratory co-morbidity