Recent research between the intersection of health and tech brings a new development in an automatic electronic alert system used to prevent overprescribing of asthmatic drugs.
"Excessive use of reliever inhalers such as salbutamol is an indicator of poorly controlled asthma and a risk factor for asthma attacks. It has also been implicated in asthma-related deaths. Yet, despite national and international asthma guidelines, excessive prescribing of short-acting beta2-agonists persists," said Dr Shauna McKibben, an honorary research fellow at the Institute of Population Health Sciences Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), UK, and clinical nurse specialist in asthma and allergy at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, who led the research. "This research aimed to identify and target excessive SABA prescribing using an electronic alert in GPs' computer systems to identify at-risk patients, change prescribing behaviour and improve asthma management."
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"The most important finding is the small but potentially clinically significant reduction in SABA prescribing in the 12 months after the alert. This, combined with the other results, suggests that the alert prompts a review of patients who may have poor asthma control. An asthma review facilitates the assessment of SABA use and is an important opportunity to improve asthma management."
Source: Science Daily
