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Evaluating the implementation of smart inhalers with digital monitoring devices for Asthma management in India
| dc.contributor.author | Benny, Anjitha | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-06-26T15:08:47Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-06-26T15:08:47Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-05 | |
| dc.description.abstract | In India, Poor medication adherence, diagnostic issues, and the unequal distribution of healthcare points still pose a major public health threat in the form of Asthma. Although smart inhalers with digital monitoring have effectively improved asthma outcomes in developed countries, their practicability and usage in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as India remain under-researched. The present study fills this gap as it examines the views of Indian healthcare professionals as to the adoption of smart inhalers. The research was to test the efficacy, feasibility, and hurdles of integrating smart inhalers into India’s asthma care system. Five goals informed the study, which were the healthcare workers’ perceptions related to digital health, outcomes of digital health, adoption challenges, external policies, and recommendations. Related research questions focused on asthma care practices, diagnostic disparities, adherence effects, barriers to implementation, and policy needs. A qualitative, interpretivist approach was applied, taking the form of semi-structured interviews with eight healthcare workers from both public and private institutions in India. Data were dealt with thematically through using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step framework. Areas investigated in the key variables were compliance behaviour, diagnostic access, cost, infrastructure, digital literacy, and privacy concerns. Findings showed overall optimism around the smart inhalers’ capability to enhance compliance and control of disease, but identified challenges including affordability, digital preparedness, and shortage of regulatory frameworks. Participants demanded policy support, subsidies, clinician training, and inclusion in national health schemes. The contribution of this study to the literature on digital health is that it provides contextspecific insights into issues related to smart inhaler adoption in LMICs and suggests actionable recommendations on creating a bridge to the digital divide in care for asthma. It highlights critical structural issues, including the lack of nationwide asthma digital policies, lack of patient technologic aptitude, and the dearth of training clinical personnel in these areas to be addressed in the interest of promoting fair implementation of the intelligent inhaler plan. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14136/252 | |
| dc.title | Evaluating the implementation of smart inhalers with digital monitoring devices for Asthma management in India | |
| dc.type | Thesis |