The effect of telephone and short-message follow-ups on compliance and efficacy in asthmatic children treated with inhaled corticosteroid: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: This study aims to evaluate the effect of telephone and short-message follow-ups on compliance and efficacy in asthmatic children treated with inhaled corticosteroids. Methods: A total of 120 children with moderate bronchial asthma who visited the Asthma Outpatient Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were enrolled in the study. They were divided randomly into 3 groups based on the type of follow-up given: a combined telephone and short-message service (Tel + SMS) group, a SMS group, and a control group. After being followed up for 12 weeks, each child's asthma control level was assessed and their lung function was measured. Results: The compliance rates of children in the Tel + SMS group and SMS group were 86.49% and 56.25%, respectively. The total effective rates of these 2 groups (94.59% and 75.0%, respectively) were significantly higher than the rate of the control group (P < .01). The lung function indicators of the children in all 3 groups were better than those before treatment, although only the Tel + SMS group and SMS group improved significantly (P