Innovation
Digital Health Passport: Empowering young people to self-manage asthma - reducing inequalities and improving outcomes
Competition
Competition 21 - Phase 3, Real-world Implementation: Respiratory Diseases and Cardiovascular Diseases
Innovation
The Digital Health Passport (DHP) for Asthma, developed by Tiny Medical Apps, helps address the critical issue of the UK having the highest asthma mortality rate in Europe for 10-24 year olds. The DHP provides a comprehensive, user-friendly digital platform that empowers young people to better manage their condition.
The DHP integrates personalised asthma plans, medication reminders, symptom tracking, and educational content into a single smartphone app. Its innovative approach includes social media-driven user engagement, particularly effective on platforms like TikTok, reaching young people who may not regularly engage with traditional NHS services.
The SBRI Healthcare-funded MYPASS project demonstrated significant impact across 10 NHS regions, with over 5,000 young people adopting the app. The DHP has been independently evaluated by UCLPartners and key achievements include statistically significant improvements in asthma control and patient activation, and health economic modeling predicting a £9.28 return on investment for every £1 spent over three years.
Importantly, the DHP has successfully engaged users from deprived areas and diverse ethnic backgrounds, addressing health inequalities in asthma care. The app's design considers accessibility needs, including offline functionality to mitigate data poverty.
By improving self-management, the DHP has the potential to reduce emergency care use, enhance quality of life, and ultimately contribute to lowering asthma mortality rates among young people in the UK. Its success has led to further developments, including adaptations for epilepsy and sickle cell disease, showcasing its potential to transform chronic condition management for young people across the NHS.
Project Lead
Dr Greg Burch, Co-founder and Clinical Director
Impact
- Implemented across 10 NHS Integrated Care Board regions
- Over 5,000 registered users, with 52% from the two most deprived IMD quintiles
- Three ICBs have independently funded the service beyond the SBRI Healthcare project period
- Statistically significant improvements in Asthma Control Test scores and patient activation measures
- Expansion into epilepsy and sickle cell disease management underway
- DTAC approved, ISO 27001 certified, and Cyber Essentials + certified
"The medication reminders have been a game-changer. My child is much better at taking their inhaler regularly now."
"I feel more confident about managing my asthma. The app helps me know when to seek help if my symptoms are getting worse."
Clinician
"The Digital Health Passport has helped me to better support patients to be better at self-managing their long term conditions. It provides 'everything in one place' for patients, from health coaching support to longer term trigger avoidance, and assists with communication in both directions with care plans and symptom diaries."
Date Published
December 2024