title: AsthmaWise - a field of dreams? The results of an online education program targeting older adults with asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to establish the feasibility and acceptability of an online asthma self-management program developed for older Australians with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  AsthmaWise, an internet education self-management program, was piloted for a 3-month period at the beginning of 2012. Participants were recruited using both online and offline strategies and were required to complete surveys, both pre- and post-intervention, in a repeated measures design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Matched data were collected from 51 participants; the results showed AsthmaWise to be a feasible and acceptable method of delivering asthma education to the target population. Self-reported measures showed an increase in participants' asthma knowledge, asthma control and quality of life. Results from the Perceived Health Web Site Usability Questionnaire (PHWSUQ) showed improvements between usability testing and implementation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The need for asthma self-management education will continue to increase as the population ages and a greater number of older adults are living with asthma. This small pilot study indicates that an online asthma self-management education program can result in improved outcome measures in a target group not normally considered technologically literate.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Initiatives, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia. pippa@uow.edu.au
authors.forename: Pippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Sandra C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iverson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caputi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires