A mobile app which aims to help young people stave off asthma attacks has been launched at two Norfolk hospitals.
The Jenny Lind Children's Hospital in Norwich and the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston have joined forces with a Cambridgeshire firm to launch a pioneering project to help children with asthma.
The app, called Asthma + me, uses cutting edge technology to help children keep on top of their asthma.
The device connects to the child's smartphone and gives them reminders of when to use their inhaler and monitors their lungs so they know when they need to take preventative action.
The aim of the project is to help drive down asthma-related hospital admissions.
Dr Bikalpa Neupane and Dr Anjay Pillai, consultant paediatricians at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said: "We are passionate about avoiding unnecessary admissions to hospital for children with high-risk asthma.
"We hope that the new digital platform will not only help reduce asthma attacks in children and young people, but empower and promote young people and families to self-manage their asthma better."
Dr John Chapman, of the James Paget, added: "This is a very exciting project which has the potential to change the way we look after children with asthma.
"Remote monitoring will allow us to identify which of our patients are doing well and which ones need more of our attention.
"This should reduce asthma attacks and visits to our outpatient clinics, allowing these children to get on with their lives and their schooling."
The app can also alert parents and carers when their child's asthma is deteriorating and suggests ways that they can intervene.
The app is developed by Cambridgeshire-based company Aseptika.
Kevin Auton, its managing director, added that he was delighted to be collaborating with the hospitals on the project.
He said: "We know from the research data provided by the public health team in Norwich that there is a clear link between the area in which children and young people live and their risk of hospital admission if their asthma gets works and turns into an attack.
"This project has the opportunity to transform the lives of children, young people and their families."
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