Anthem’s ‘Asthma Digital Study’ could include Purdue employees who meet criteria

Anthem, Purdue’s medical plan administrator, is conducting a 24-month, invitation-only study on asthma. Participants must be from Anthem-affiliated health plans, age 18-64 and have asthma and an asthma-related emergency visit in the past two years.

Recruitment to the study will be done exclusively via email to Anthem members; therefore, employees who meet the criteria and are covered on a Purdue health plan could be contacted to participate in the study. Email invitations to eligible prospective participants will be sent now through early 2021 and will come from “Asthma Digital Study” at noreply@careevolution.com.

Though the asthma study is not a replacement for care, the tools provided through the study can supplement current care. Those selected to participate will receive an Apple Watch, Beddit Sleep Monitor and Study App at no cost to them.

The Asthma Digital Study, according to the study overview, is "a study centered on the observations that individuals with asthma a) may not be aware when asthma symptoms start getting worse and b) face barriers to correct and consistent medication use." The goal is to keep people well, reduce asthma attacks and decrease the need for emergency and hospital care by targeting improvements in those areas and supporting evidence-based self-management. Objectives are to:

• Provide a picture of a user’s asthma control.
• Assist with self-management through content.
• Create a robust dataset to define a digital biomarker of asthma control.
• Define features that drive engagement and outcomes.

Questions about the Asthma Digital Study can be sent via the UCI Center for Clinical Research at the University of California, Irvine at clinicalresearch@hs.uci.edu.