SBIR-STTR Award

This project responds to the need for improved efficiency and effectiveness of health care delivery in rural areas (Program Code 8.6). Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease and affects between 11-19% of children who live in rural areas in the U.S. [127]. Annually direct and indirect costs in the U.S. are estimated as $3K per patient and $56B total [34].Rural pediatric asthma prevalence is similar to urban populations. Still it differs in exposure to small and large- scale farming equipment allergens housing quality and healthcare providers and caretakers who do not follow asthma management guideline updates. These factors contribute to poorer health outcomes emergency department visits hospitalizations and possible misdiagnosis. Access to pediatric pulmonology care can improve asthma outcomes but rural areas are underserved. Telemedicine enables access to specialists but adds clinical diagnostic challenges because physical exams are not possible; clinicians are almost entirely dependent on reports from caregivers. The objectives of this project are: 1. Assess specialist access asthma guidelines knowledge and determine how the Loon Medical Smartphone APP might improve asthma care delivery. 2. Define Smartphone APP design parameters. 3. Design APP Wireframe.4. Build an Android and iOS APP. The anticipated grant result is documentation of how the APP will improve efficiency and effectiveness of asthma care delivery in rural areas and a Smartphone APP ready for a clinical study. The APP will provide data the clinician can use to make outcome-based therapeutic decisions. The APP is indicated for children who cannot undergo lung function testing communicate symptoms and those already diagnosed with asthma for therapy optimization and symptom tracking.