Adults with asthma from anywhere in Australia are being invited to help trial a new digital model of care designed to make day-to-day management easier, no matter where they live.
Asthma Australia and the University of Newcastle have opened recruitment for the AsthmaConnect trial, which combines personalised digital support, telehealth and evidence-based self-management tools.
One in nine Australians, nearly 2.8 million people, have asthma, and around half live with poorly controlled symptoms at any given time. In 2022-23, more than 31,000 people were hospitalised for asthma and approximately 97,000 presented to emergency departments. More than 90 per cent of these hospitalisations could have been prevented with better asthma management. In 2024, 478 people lost their lives to asthma.
University of Newcastle Senior Research Fellow Dr Dennis Thomas said the burden of asthma was unacceptably high.
“Although medications and devices are effective, most patients do not use them appropriately or adequately, leading to poor asthma control and flare-ups,” Dr Thomas said.
“This study will test whether a comprehensive digital model of care can make it easier for people to manage asthma day-to-day, no matter where they live.”
Asthma Australia is supporting the study and contributing expertise through its Asthma Connect app, which will form part of the digital tools being tested.
The trial is being run in partnership with the Hunter Medical Research Institute, a partnership between the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Health and the community.
The trial is recruiting adults aged 18 and over who have been diagnosed with asthma and own a smartphone. Recruitment is open now and will continue until June 2027, with participants able to enrol for free from anywhere in the country and complete the trial via telehealth.
Those randomised to the intervention arm will receive free access to a digital asthma management package, free telehealth support from asthma educators and an asthma doctor, and free tools including symptom tracking, medicine reminders and personalised action planning.
The expected time commitment is about 2.5 hours over the 12 month study period for phone interviews, plus an additional 2.5 hours of asthma education in the first three months. Participants will be reimbursed for time spent on study interviews.
Asthma Australia CEO Kate Miranda said the trial was about giving people confidence and peace of mind.
“People with asthma tell us they need practical support to manage their condition, tools they can rely on when they are worried about their breathing,” Ms Miranda said.
Adults interested in taking part can register by emailing AsthmaConnect@newcastle.edu.au or calling 02 4042 0111.
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