Engaging younger people in their asthma management – findings from a pilot telemedicine asthma nurse service

Background: People aged 18-29 receive the lowest level (33%) of basic asthma care for any age group in the UK[1]. This group has lower levels of health literacy, but high levels of digital engagement. Asthma UK provides a nurse-led telephone service, and piloted a WhatsApp instant messaging service to provide advice and support to address this unmet need. Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of delivering a personalised WhatsApp service as part of Asthma UK’s suite of support services, and to gain preliminary data on whether the service improves self-reported confidence in asthma self-management. Method: Users message a nurse on WhatsApp, via mobile device or desktop, and receive advice, links, video content and infographics on their query. Users completed a post-chat online survey on their experience of the service and confidence in managing their asthma. The survey gained 669 responses between January 2019 and January 2020. Results: 93.6% of respondents said that the asthma nurse was able to answer all their questions, and 91.5% were very satisfied with the service. 98.4% found the advice easy to understand. 63.3% (and 65.9% of the 18-33 age group) felt more confident managing their asthma post-chat. 36.7% had not heard of Asthma UK before using the service and 67.1% of this unengaged group said the service improved their confidence. Conclusions: Users responded positively, with improved confidence in managing their asthma. This work has implications for future care delivery, with virtual consultations for asthma advice proving a popular and effective way to reach an unengaged younger audience. [1] Asthma UK. The reality of asthma care in the UK, 2018