Virtual care for paediatric asthma: A randomized controlled trial

AimsThis work aims to investigate whether virtual care can improve clinical outcomes for children with asthma, similar to face-to-face specialty care.DesignThe study used a randomized controlled trial design, with participants allocated to either a virtual care group (n = 47) or a control group (n = 50) using simple randomization.MethodsThe study was conducted from March to August 2021, and a sample of 97 children with asthma was recruited. Children in the virtual care group received online training in four modules within the first month and support through virtual meetings and phone or video calls, while the control group received standard care. The primary outcome of the study was the Asthma Control Test and Child Asthma Control Test.ResultsThe virtual care group had significantly better outcomes than the control group in terms of C-ACT scores for children aged 7-11 years, fewer days under 80% of the optimum level of peak expiratory flow, lower peak expiratory flow variability, fewer rescue medication uses, and more symptom-free days. The virtual care group also had a lower number of unscheduled hospital visits and a greater improvement in quality of life compared with the control group.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that virtual care can improve disease management and quality of life for children with asthma. What is already known about this topic? Although there are also some challenges and limitations associated with virtual care in paediatric asthma, it has been used in various medical specialties, including asthma management, for many years.What this paper adds? The paper adds new evidence that virtual care can be an effective and viable option for managing asthma in children. Specifically, the study found that children who received virtual care had better asthma control, fewer hospital visits, and improved quality of life compared with those who received standard care.The implications of this paper: Health care providers who care for children with asthma may consider incorporating virtual care into their practice, especially in areas where access to specialty care is limited.