SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2024
Effectiveness and Acceptability of Asynchronous Digital Health in Asthma Care: Mixed Methods Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effectiveness of digital health interventions for asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- A Scoping Review of Implemented Innovations in Cancer Care: Implications for Pan-Canadian Scaling.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of digital health interventions for increasing preventive care for smoking, nutrition, alcohol consumption, physical activity and weight (SNAP-W) in outpatient settings: a systematic review protocol.Systematic reviews · 2026Article
- The forgotten billion: bridging the global allergy care chasm through scalable, equity-driven strategies.Frontiers in allergy · 2026Review
- Evaluating a digital health ecosystem for asthma and air quality: an early feasibility study based on clinicians and patient-reported measures.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAsynchronous digital health (eg, web-based portal, text, and email communication) can overcome practical barriers associated with in-person and remote synchronous (real-time) consultations. However, little is known about the effectiveness and acceptability of asynchronous digital health to support care for individuals with asthma (eg, asthma reviews).
objectiveWe aimed to systematically review the qualitative and quantitative evidence on the role of asynchronous digital health for asthma care.
methodsFollowing Cochrane methodology, we searched 6 databases (January 2001-July 2022; search update: September 2023) for quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods studies supporting asthma care using asynchronous digital health. Screening and data extraction were duplicated. We assessed the risk of bias in the clinical outcomes of randomized controlled trials included in the meta-analysis using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool. For the remaining studies, we evaluated the methodological quality using the Downs and Black checklist, critical appraisal skills program, and mixed methods appraisal tool for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies, respectively. We determined the confidence in the evidence using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) criteria. We conducted a meta-analysis of trial data and a thematic analysis of qualitative data.
resultsWe included 30 studies (20 quantitative, 6 qualitative, and 4 mixed methods) conducted in 9 countries involving individuals with asthma, their caregivers, and health care professionals. Asynchronous digital consultations linked with other functionalities, compared to usual care, improved asthma control (standardized mean difference 0.32, 95% CI 0.02-0.63; P=.04) and reduced hospitalizations (risk ratio 0.36; 95% CI 0.14-0.94; P=.04). However, there were no significant differences in quality of life (standardized mean difference 0.16; 95% CI -0.12 to 0.43; P=.26) or emergency department visits (risk ratio 0.83; 95% CI 0.33-2.09; P=.69). Patients appreciated the convenience of asynchronous digital health, though health care professionals expressed concerns. Successful implementation necessitated an organizational approach. Integrative synthesis underscored the ease of asking questions, monitoring logs, and medication reminders as key digital functionalities.
conclusionsDespite low confidence in evidence, asynchronous consultation supported by digital functionalities is an effective and convenient option for nonemergency asthma care. This type of consultation, well accepted by individuals with asthma and their caregivers, offers opportunities for those facing challenges with traditional synchronous consultations due to lifestyle or geographic constraints. However, efficient organizational strategies are needed to manage the associated workload.
trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42022344224; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=344224. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1371/journal.pone.0281538.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.