Digitally-enabled, person-centred care to support Ukrainian citizens and refugees for asthma, rhinitis, urticaria (and COPD).
Eight million Ukrainians have fled the war and crossed into the European Union (EU). At least 15% of them have asthma and/or allergic rhinitis, and around 100,000 a severe disease. Many of them lack effective medical treatment. Allergic diseases, including asthma and allergic rhinitis, represent the most common chronic disorder in children and adolescents. There is a significant number of children and adolescents among the refugees. Cultural and language barriers represent a major obstacle.
MASK-air® (Mobile Airways Sentinel networK), a validated mHealth app (Medical Device Class 2a) for the management of rhinitis and asthma, is operational in 27 countries and 19 languages (60,000 users). It has been efficient in the screening and management of patients in all countries. The app is a Best Practice of OECD, enhancing equity and person-centred care. MASK-air® includes a daily monitoring questionnaire with six Patient-Reported Outcome Measures and a scroll list of rhinitis and asthma medications for each country. Additional questionnaires (EQ-ED-5L: EuroQOL allowing the assessment of utilities and CARAT: Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test) are included. The app can be used up to the age of 75 years. The Ukrainian MASK-air® module (asthma and allergic rhinitis) is now available.
CRUSE (Chronic Urticaria Self Evaluation) has been developed for urticaria following the MASK-air approach. The Ukrainian CRUSE® module (urticaria) is also available.
The Ukrainian patient fills in the questionnaires and daily symptom-medication scores for asthma, rhinitis or urticaria in Ukrainian. Following the GDPR, the patient then grants his/her physician access to the app by scanning a QR code displayed on the physician’s (or healthcare provider’s) computer. This will enable the physician to read the app contents in his/her own language. It takes less than a minute to show patient data to the physician in the physician’s web browser.
UCRAID was developed by ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) and UCARE. It is under the auspices of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine as well as European (EAACI, ERS, ESDR) and national societies.
