Electronic health technologies and thematic scopes of the interventional studies in asthma: A study based on PubMed

Aims: E-health intervention can be a valuable way to deal with asthma and reduce the global burden of it. In this research, we aimed to determine the type of e-health interventions in the interventional studies in asthma based on PubMed during ۲۰۰۰ to ۲۰۱۸. Materials and Methods: The research was carried out using content analysis and scientometric techniques. To reach the research population, the keywords of two concepts of asthma and e-health, were identified and then the search formula was developed using “Mesh” and “Ti” tags. By examining the ۴۵۲ articles, the research population was limited to ۱۰۲ articles that had somehow used e-health technologies to intervene in asthma. The extracted data from the articles were: the publication year, type of e-health technology used in the intervention, thematic scope of the intervention, and the affiliated countries of the articles. Findings: The highest number of the articles has published in ۲۰۱۶. Seventeen categories of ehealth technology were identified by analyzing the content of ۱۰۲ articles. The findings indicate that web-based systems, text messaging, and mobile applications were at the forefront of the technologies used in the studies. The highest number of interventions occurred in “asthma control”, “medication adherence”, and “self-management”. The United States has the highest share among the affiliated countries of the articles. Conclusion: Web-based solutions have been the most extensively employed technology. In the most studies, the key aim of deploying e-health interventions have been to improve “asthma control”. The United States has contributed the most in the studies.

Keywords:

Asthma , Electronic Health , Interventional studies , E-health interventions , Scientometric analysis