title: e-Monitoring of Asthma Therapy to Improve Compliance in children using a real-time medication monitoring system (RTMM): the e-MATIC study protocol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many children with asthma do not have sufficient asthma control, which leads to increased healthcare costs and productivity loss of parents. One of the causative factors are adherence problems. Effective interventions improving medication adherence may therefore improve asthma control and reduce costs. A promising solution is sending real time text-messages via the mobile phone network, when a medicine is about to be forgotten. As the effect of real time text-messages in children with asthma is unknown, the primary aim of this study is to determine the effect of a Real Time Medication Monitoring system (RTMM) with text-messages on adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The secondary objective is to study the effects of RTMM on asthma control, quality of life and cost-effectiveness of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter, randomized controlled trial involving 220 children (4-11 years) using ICS for asthma. All children receive an RTMM-device for one year, which registers time and date of ICS doses. Children in the intervention group also receive tailored text-messages, sent only when a dose is at risk of omission. Primary outcome measure is the proportion of ICS dosages taken within the individually predefined time-interval. Secondary outcome measures include asthma control (monthly Asthma Control Tests), asthma exacerbations, healthcare use (collected from hospital records, patient reports and pharmacy record data), and disease-specific quality of life (PAQLQ questionnaire). Parental and children's acceptance of RTMM is evaluated with online focus groups and patient questionnaires. An economic evaluation is performed adopting a societal perspective, including relevant healthcare costs and parental productivity loss. Furthermore, a decision-analytic model is developed in which different levels of adherence are associated with clinical and financial outcomes. Also, sensitivity analyses are carried out on different price levels for RTMM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If RTMM with tailored text-message reminders proves to be effective, this technique can be used in daily practice, which would support children with suboptimal adherence in their asthma (self)management and in achieving better asthma control and better quality of life.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Netherlands Trial Register NTR2583.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hospital Pharmacy, Erasmus Medical Center, Nc-212, P.O. Box 2040, Rotterdam, CA 3000, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erwin C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Vasbinder
authors.forename: Hettie M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Janssens
authors.forename: Maureen P M H
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rutten-van Mölken
authors.forename: Liset
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: Brenda C M
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: de Winter
authors.forename: Ruben C A
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.forename: Arnold G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Vulto
authors.forename: Patricia M L A
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: van den Bemt
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003199:Computer Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D017144:Focus Groups / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology*; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D009426:Netherlands; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D060145:Text Messaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones