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Innovations in Technology: Social Media and Mobile Technology in the Care of Adolescents with Asthma

  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (JM Portnoy and CE Ciaccio, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

This literature review analyzed technological interventions in the adolescent asthmatic population. A PubMed search was performed with terms of asthma, adolescents, social media, Internet, website, mobile phone, text messaging, SMS, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Technology during a 2.5-year period and identified 64 abstracts. Three studies fulfilled the criteria for adolescent intervention using Internet-based sites but did not provide evidence for effectiveness. Two studies focused on mobile technology. One study included text message reminders for controller medication use in asthma patients. Perceived usefulness, satisfaction, and ease of use of text messages were high, but there was no improvement in asthma control. The literature search did not find any studies exploring the use of smartphone applications or social media services. Current studies of technology use in adolescents with asthma do not provide consistent evidence of effectiveness. The positive attitude toward use of social media or mobile technology opens the possibility for future studies to further explore the potential benefits of such interventions.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: •Of importance ••Of major importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

    Andrew Nickels

  2. Section of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 0729, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Vesselin Dimov

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Correspondence to Vesselin Dimov.

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Nickels, A., Dimov, V. Innovations in Technology: Social Media and Mobile Technology in the Care of Adolescents with Asthma. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 12, 607–612 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-012-0299-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-012-0299-7

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