Wiecha 2015.
| Study characteristics | ||
| Methods |
Design: prospective randomised controlled pilot trial Duration: endpoint at 26 weeks Setting: recruited from Boston community health centres, the Boston Medical Center, and other practices in the Boston area; trial carried out in the United States |
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| Participants |
Population: 58 participants were randomised to use an interactive asthma website platform, BostonBreathes (n = 37) or usual care (n = 21) Age: range from: 9 to 17 years old. Mean age in the website platform group was 11.9 years; SD = 2.0. Mean age in usual care group was 12.9 years; SD = 3.0 Proportion of male participants: website platform group was 59.5% male; usual care group was 57.1% male Proportion of white ethnic participants: website platform group was 21.6% white; usual care group was 9.5% white Smoking history: website platform group was 22.9% smokers at home; usual care group was 42.9% smokers at home Inclusion criteria: children with a diagnosis of persistent asthma or on a controller‐type medication, caregivers could speak and read English with functioning Internet connection at home Exclusion criteria: not meeting the inclusion criteria, unable to complete screening, declined to participate Percentage withdrawn: 27.59% Withdrawal from website platform group: 24.32% Withdrawal from usual care group: 33.33% Allowed medication: none recorded Disallowed medication: none recorded |
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| Interventions |
Website platform group: asthmatic children used an interactive, engaging website to promote adherence to asthma and provide a platform for teamwork between caregivers and patients, as well as giving primary care providers up‐to‐date symptom information and data on medication use. Web portal had asthma education with pre‐programmed feedback based on entry of symptoms, peak flow values, and medication use. For 6 months, there was a 2‐monthly review from the paediatric asthma specialist and asthma nurse specialist of data entered by patients via the BB website. A summary of their conclusions and treatment recommendations, based on entered data, was posted to the private discussion board for review by the physician and patient and caregiver (i.e. a two‐way interactivity). No co‐interventions used. Not a theory‐based intervention. Usual care group: patients received an asthma education manual, and peak flow meter, and otherwise usual care from their physicians |
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| Outcomes | Primary: adherence to maintenance medication | |
| Notes |
Type of publication: peer‐reviewed Funding: The Commonwealth Fund COI: none |
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| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Randomisation occurred but no detail given on how |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | No allocation concealment described |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | Data not reported |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Home visit training and data collection by research assistant means outcomes could have been affected, however adherence was collected objectively by doser |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Stated that there was no significant dependence of dropout on the outcome values, but dropout rates similar between groups |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | All data presented specified as per abstract and methods |