Adherium, a company out of Auckland, New Zealand, won FDA clearance to introduce its SmartTouch for Symbicort device that monitors and promotes prescribed inhaler usage. Symbicort is an inhaled medication used to treat symptoms of asthma and COPD. The device is placed over the inhaler itself and, once paired with the patient’s smartphone, records every time the inhaler is used.
Usage of the medication is shared with the patient’s physician who can make medication changes based on the data. In addition, the app motivates the user to stay on the schedule in the prescription, helping to improve compliance in a patient population that tends to often skip their regular med administrations.
A bit about Adherium’s device according to the company:
Used in more than 60 projects and referenced in 65 peer reviewed journal articles, the Smartinhaler’s clinical outcomes data have proven that it can improve adherence by up to 59% in adults and 180% in children. These improvements were associated with a 60% reduction in severe respiratory episodes in adults, leading to improved quality-of-life and demonstrating a substantial gain over current best practice treatment.
Link: Adherium technology info page…
Via: Adherium…