Ep. 161: BREATHE: The Digital Asthma Management Tool
Part of the series: Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Innovations Podcast
This podcast was made in partnership with Allergy & Asthma Network.
Most adults with asthma never receive education about managing their condition, even though it is proven to help with better asthma control. The reason comes down to access. In this episode, we explore a digital platform called BREATHE, built from the ground up to change that.
Dr. Payel Gupta and Kortney sit down with the two lead authors behind “Development and Usability of a Digital Asthma Self-management Education Platform: BRinging Exercise, Asthma Assessments, and TeacHing to Everyone (BREATHE)” published in JACI: In Practice, March 2026. De De Gardner and Sheryl Flynn, CEO, talk about how BREATHE was developed, what the app includes, and what the data showed after patients and providers put it to the test.
What we cover in our episode about asthma self-management
Asthma self-management education and why most adults never receive it.
How BREATHE was built using a user-centered design process, shaped by what adults with asthma and healthcare providers said they actually needed.
What the BREATHE platform includes: asthma lessons, excercise tracking, validated control assessments, and an Asthma Action Plan, all in one app, in English and Spanish.
What the usability study found: adults rated the app in the 81st percentile, providers rated the dashboard in the 76th percentile, and 80% considered making a behavior change after just two weeks.
Where the program is now and where it is going, including how to access the free Allergy and Asthma Network Virtual Asthma Coaching Program today.
About our guests
De De Gardner, DrPH, RRT, RRT-NPS, is the Chief Research and Programs Officer at the Allergy and Asthma Network, where she leads the organization's research programs, including the Trusted Messengers asthma education initiative. A respiratory therapist with more than 30 years of experience, De De Gardner has dedicated her career to asthma education and health equity for underserved communities.
Sheryl Flynn, PT, PhD is the CEO and co-founder of Blue Marble Health, a digital health platform focused on chronic disease management. A physical therapist and researcher by training, Dr. Flynn has spent her career building technology that brings evidence-based care to people who need it, regardless of where they live or what device they use.
More resources about uncontrolled asthma
Allergy and Asthma Network Virtual Asthma Coaching Program and the Spanish program
The BREATHE paper
More Episodes about Asthma
Timestamps
Our episode about designing an app for asthma management
01:54 What is Blue Marble Health
02:49 What is asthma self-management education
10:52 What is the BREATHE platform
17:06 What is user-centered design
20:53 Usability and feasibility of the app
25:22 How the app scored
30:04 Study limitations
31:19 How the program impacts asthma control
32:29 Where BREATHE is headed
