Telemedicine strategies improve asthma control and quality of life in adults

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The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma Published June 1, 2026 Medically reviewed June 1, 2026 Study authors: Al-Hazmi Ahmad Homoud, Alanazi Aryam Shannan K, Alsuogaih Munirah Suliman Faraj, Alanazi Shouq Sulai… PubMed ↗ DOI ↗ By Dr. Amelia Tan, PhD · Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease

Key Takeaway

Consider telemedicine strategies for asthma control, but note heterogeneity and need for further research.

A network meta-analysis evaluated various telemedicine strategies for managing bronchial asthma in adults. The analysis compared case management, consultation, education, monitoring, reminding, or combined approaches against usual care. The primary outcome was asthma control, with secondary outcomes including quality of life and medication adherence.

The authors found that combined telemedicine strategies, tele-education, and tele-monitoring significantly improved asthma control compared to usual care. Case management, consultation, and reminder strategies did not show a significant benefit. A significant improvement in quality of life was also observed with combined strategies.

Key limitations noted by the authors include heterogeneity in intervention design and limited reporting across outcomes. The analysis was based on a synthesis of existing trials, and the certainty of evidence may be affected by these factors.

Clinical relevance is restrained; the authors emphasize the need for further research before widespread application. Practitioners should interpret these qualitative findings cautiously, recognizing that specific implementation details and patient selection may influence outcomes.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedJun 2026

PMID41603955

View Original Abstract ↓

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to synthesize existing evidence comparing telemedicine with usual care and to examine the relative effectiveness of different telemedicine strategies in the management of asthma among adults. METHODS: A systematic search of MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus identified randomized clinical trials published from inception until March 16, 2025. Telemedicine interventions were categorized as case management, consultation, education, monitoring, reminding, or combined approaches. Outcomes included asthma control, quality of life (QoL), and medication adherence. Results were synthesized using network meta-analysis and expressed as standardized mean differences (SMDs) or risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Thirty-nine trials were included. Compared to usual care, asthma control improved significantly with combined strategies ( = 14; SMD:-0.55; 95%CI:-0.85, -0.25; < 0.001), tele-education ( = 3; SMD:-0.62; 95%CI:-1.21, -0.02; = 0.042), and tele-monitoring ( = 3; SMD:-1.20; 95%CI:-1.97, -0.42; = 0.003). No significant benefit was found for case management, consultation, or reminder strategies. Based on SUCRA rankings, tele-monitoring, tele-education, and combined approaches were most effective for asthma control. For QoL, combined strategies showed a significant benefit over usual care (SMD:0.32; 95%CI:0.02, 0.62; = 0.037). SUCRA rankings for QoL placed tele-education first, followed by tele-monitoring and combined strategies. CONCLUSION: Telemedicine strategies, particularly monitoring, education, and combined approaches, improve asthma control and QoL in adults. However, heterogeneity in intervention design and limited reporting across outcomes suggest cautious interpretation and the need for further research before widespread clinical application.