Mobile Education for Asthmatic Patients: Investigating the Impact of Mobile App-Based Interventions on Quality of Life

Asthma, a chronic inflammatory airway disease that leads to bronchial hyperreactivity, frequently causes a decline in quality of life, exacerbation of symptoms, and limitations in daily activities. Although asthma is intractable, its severity can be controlled through education and, more recently, the innovative use of mobile phone apps. In Indonesia, however, research on the impact of such apps on asthma patient's quality of life is limited. This non-experimental study sought to comprehend asthma patients' living conditions and determine if mobile phone app-based education could improve their quality of life. The survey was conducted between August and December 2022, with a total sample size of 40 participants based on the study's criteria. The Mini AQLQ questionnaire was used to collect data before and after the provision of education, and Wilcoxon hypothesis testing was used to analyze the data. 55% of participants initially had a poor quality of life, while 45% had an excellent quality of life. The high quality of life group increased to 62.5% after education, while the poor quality of life group decreased to 37.5%. The statistical analysis revealed that participant's average and median scores increased from the pre-test to the post-test. The Wilcoxon test yielded a p-value of 0.022, indicating a statistically significant difference between pre-test and post-test quality of life scores. Therefore, this study concludes that smartphone-based education can improve asthma patients' quality of life.