Partners

Asthma Signals Press Release – May 24, 2011

Asthma Signals, Inc. and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of New England collaborate on an innovative mobile technology designed to tackle Pediatric Asthma.

Asthma Signals Inc. and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, New England Chapter (AAFANE) announce the start of a joint effort to conduct a comprehensive review of an innovative mobile health application designed to reduce asthma attacks in children.

Despite clear clinical guidelines and effective medications for asthma management, over 1 million U.S. children suffer from uncontrolled asthma. To address this unmet need, Asthma Signals is developing an integrated mobile care management system for pediatric asthma.

The family-friendly technology will connect children, parents and the care provider community to actionable recommendations through web and mobile phone interfaces. Based on each child’s unique care plan, their daily activities and surrounding environmental conditions, the software provides timely reminders and actionable alerts prior to a likely acute asthmatic event.

AAFANE will offer its expertise in asthma and also connect Asthma Signals with asthmatic children and their parents to evaluate and refine the content and delivery approach for the alerts and messages that are a key component of the mobile care management system. The goal of this joint effort is to ensure that information will be delivered to children, youths and their care communities in a way that optimizes end-user uptake and action.

May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. Recognizing that Asthma is a controllable condition, and that most attacks are preventable, Asthma Signals and the AAFANE are pleased to be working together to tackle this major health condition. With Asthma Signals ‘early warning system’, predicting and preventing asthma attacks in children is possible.

For more information, please visit our website, www.asthmasignals.com, or contact Cathryn Gunther at 203-654-6444.

Press Release, December 21, 2010
Breakthrough Asthma Management Program Will Help Prevent Asthma Attacks in Children and Reduce the Number of Pediatric Asthma-Related Emergency Room Visits

Asthma Signals, Inc. (ASI) and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, New England Chapter (AAFANE) have partnered in an effort to increase the number of children that have written Asthma Action Plans as well as enroll those children in an information system that improves adherence to action plan recommendations.

Created by the child’s doctor or nurse, Asthma Action Plans provide medical data, information and recommendations designed to optimally manage a child’s asthma, including when and how to use specific medications. Unfortunately, not every child’s asthma is under control. Pediatric asthma attacks accounted for a staggering 8% of all emergency room visits.

Asthma Signal’s “Early Warning Software” integrates each child’s asthma-related medical data with location-based conditions, such as environmental allergens or pollutants. The system empowers families and caregivers to comply with their child’s Asthma Action Plan by translating the plan into easy-to-understand action steps – within the context of family life. Personalized information and reminders are delivered via cell phone text message or smart-phone application. For example, a parent may receive a text message: “Remind Billy to use his inhaler before tomorrow’s soccer game”… because the pollen count at the game location is predicted to be very high.

“This secure early warning system provides families, care-givers and appropriately-aged children the information and reminders needed to improve and maintain control of the child’s asthma and subsequently decrease the number of traumatic, disruptive and costly visits to the emergency room”, said Steve Schmidt, CEO and Founder of Asthma Signals. ”We are excited to work with AAFANE on this opportunity to improve the lives of children with asthma”, said Schmidt.

“The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of New England is partnering with Asthma Signals, Inc. in making this early warning service available because we see this new message-based approach as a novel, promising way to increase patient compliance with Asthma Action Plans”, said Elaine Rosenberg, AAFANE Executive Director. “Our initial collaboration will be focused on implementing and refining the system in Massachusetts.”

One of the goals of the Asthma Action Plan Program launched by AAFANE is to test the innovative software for its effectiveness and ease of use. Dozens of Massachusetts children and their families will be the first to use the system; their experience and feedback will help refine the software. To enable this testing, AAFANE and ASI are teaming up with select physicians who treat large numbers of children with asthma. The two organizations will also work together to increase the number of children that have written Asthma Action Plans at home and on file at their school.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, New England Chapter, Inc. was founded in 1979 to control and prevent asthma and allergic conditions through patient and health care provider education and public awareness. Their programs include: educational support groups, consultation to patients, schools and businesses, information and referral services, training programs for child care providers, nurses, schools and allied health professionals, public advocacy and newsletters. AAFANE works closely with doctors, school nurses and patients to improve the health and quality of life of children and adults with asthma.

Asthma Signals, Inc. was founded in 2009 in response to the children’s asthma epidemic and the opportunity to significantly reduce asthma attacks through the application of simple communications technology. ASI offers new hope to families and children with asthma.