TELEMEDICINE in bronchial asthma improved asthma control, especially using telemonitoring, education, or combined support programs.
Telemedicine in Bronchial Asthma Shows Measurable Gains
A network meta-analysis synthesized randomized clinical trials comparing telemedicine with usual care in adults with asthma. Across 39 trials identified through searches of major medical databases up to March 16, 2025, the authors grouped interventions into case management, consultation, education, monitoring, reminders, or combined approaches. Outcomes included asthma control, quality of life, and medication adherence.
Compared with usual care, three telemedicine strategies were associated with better asthma control. Combined approaches showed a moderate improvement, while tele education and telemonitoring also demonstrated significant benefits. Ranking analyses suggested telemonitoring, tele education, and combined interventions were most likely to improve asthma control relative to other telemedicine formats assessed.
Quality of Life Benefits Concentrated in Combined Programs
When quality of life was evaluated, combined strategies were the only category to show a statistically significant improvement versus usual care. In ranking analyses for quality of life, tele education placed first, followed by telemonitoring and combined approaches, suggesting patient reported outcomes may respond differently depending on the mix of support delivered.
Medication adherence was included as an outcome across the evidence base but reporting and intervention designs varied. This limited the strength of conclusions for adherence compared with asthma control and quality of life.
Clinical Takeaways and Key Limitations
This analysis indicates that not all telemedicine is equivalent for bronchial asthma management. Interventions that actively track symptoms and those that deliver structured education appear more likely to improve control than case management, consultation only, or reminder-based strategies. The authors also noted substantial heterogeneity in how interventions were designed and delivered, alongside incomplete reporting across outcomes.
Taken together, the findings support cautious interpretation and highlight the need for more standardized telemedicine protocols and consistent outcome reporting before widespread implementation. Future trials that directly compare scalable models, including remote monitoring paired with education and feedback, may clarify which components drive the greatest benefit. Digital tools such as smart inhalers may also shape how telemedicine captures adherence and inhaler technique in routine care.
Reference: Al Hazmi AH et al. Effectiveness of telemedicine in bronchial asthma: A network meta-analysis. J Asthma. 2026;doi:10.1080/02770903.2026.2623434.
