Abstract
<p align="center"> </p><p align="center">MySpira is the world first augmented reality (AR) asthma inhaler training app; it enables children to learn asthma keywords, types of inhalers, the preparation of the inhaler and spacer, asthma triggers, and develop skills on how to use an asthma inhaler effectively. All of these are compiled into an enjoyable 20-minute experience, introducing likable characters and tactile interactions, which incentivise the child to progress all the way through the learning experience. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of the MySpira application to traditional educational material (e.g. leaflets and videos) to improve asthma treatment compliance, technique and user engagement amongst 110 schoolchildren, aged 6 to 13. The findings indicate that MySpira surpasses the traditional educational materials, specifically in terms of enjoyment rating, the use of different inhalers’ techniques, particularly in the younger group (aged 6-9 years). Therefore, MySpira may enhance the level of available asthma care in an attempt to resolve one of the major problems facing asthma suffers and their carers, notably effective use of asthma inhalers.</p>
Highlights
Asthma affects 5.4 million people in the UK, of which 1.1 million are children [1]
The finding indicates that the mean changes in the overall education experience score (OVEAS) showed significant increase across the learning materials but no significant interactions (Figure 2a)
MySpira tends to have the largest change from the baseline (3.48 vs 2.74 and 2.05 for the video and leaflet, respectively)
Summary
Asthma affects 5.4 million people in the UK, of which 1.1 million are children [1]. It remains one of the leading causes for paediatric hospital admissions and has a prevalence rate of approximately 10% in children leading to missed days from school and iJIM ‒ Vol 15, No 07, 2021other societal costs. Various studies have shown that many asthma sufferers use their inhalers incorrectly in one way or another, which can result in less than 10% of the medicine reaching where it is needed in the lungs [4]. This is concerning since Vestbo et al reported in an observational study nested within a randomised controlled trial that adherence to inhaled medication was associated with a significantly reduced risk of death and admission to hospital due to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations [5]. Where proper inhaler training programmes have been put in place, emergency admissions have reduced by 50% and asthma associated deaths by 75% [8]
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