ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT07746921IDDUpdated Aug 31, 2026

Smart Inhaler and Remote Asthma Management in Adolescents With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

An interventional study of Use of active remote smart inhaler in the home setting and Use of passive remote smart inhaler in the home setting in Asthma in Children, Intellectual Disabilities (F70-F79) and Developmental Disability, sponsored by Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 10 Years to 17 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-31.

Sponsored by Children's Hospital Los Angeles · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
34
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
10 Years to 17 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Correct use of daily medications containing inhaled corticosteroids is key for asthma control, yet children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face additional barriers to proper inhaler use. Smart inhalers, a novel technology that provides guidance and immediate feedback on inhaler use techniques, have been shown to enhance correct medication administration in the typically developing pediatric population, but their effectiveness has not been evaluated on the pediatric IDD population for remote home use. This study aims to investigate whether daily application of smart inhalers (1) is feasible, acceptable and usable in the IDD population for remote asthma management, (2) improves the rate of medication use and correct medication administration, and (3) results in improvement in lung function. This effort aims to promote better asthma management in the IDD population for remote home use.

Read the detailed description

The study is a single-blinded randomized-controlled pilot trial with a goal of 34 participants ages 10-17 years diagnosed with IDD and moderate-to-severe asthma. Subjects are recruited from subspecialty clinics and a primary care FQHC at a large, urban academic children's hospital. Participants in the intervention group are assigned to use active smart inhalers for remote home management daily for 8 weeks, and the control group receives standard asthma education and passive smart inhalers for remote home management.

All participants attend three visits over 8 weeks, each scheduled four weeks apart. Primary outcomes, feasibility and acceptability, are assessed by data completeness and satisfaction surveys. Secondary outcomes, medication reminders, the Inhaler Proficiency Scales, are measured by the smart inhaler and by a trained observer and analyzed by Spearman's correlation test. Tertiary outcomes, Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) in one second, and Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF), are measured by a spirometer. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), which measures the amount of nitric oxide exhaled from a breath in parts per billion, will be measured by a FeNO device. Demographics and outcomes are reported as frequencies (%), mean (SD), or median (IQR). Analyses will utilize generalized linear mixed-effects models to account for the within-participant correlation.

02

Conditions studied

  • Asthma in Children
  • Intellectual Disabilities (F70-F79)
  • Developmental Disability
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder

Keywords

  • smart inhaler
  • asthma
  • remote home management
  • medication adherence
  • intellectual disability
  • developmental disability
03

In context

Intellectual Disability

387 studies on the registry are indexed under Intellectual Disability; 105 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 34 is below the median of 58 across 248 interventional studies indexed under Intellectual Disability.

Browse Intellectual Disability studies →

Lead sponsor

Children's Hospital Los Angeles is the lead sponsor of 152 studies on the registry; 46 are open to participants now.

Of its 9 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 6 (67%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
10 Years to 17 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adolescents ages 10-17 years
  • Diagnosis of mild-to-moderate intellectual disability (ID) ICD-10: F70-F71 and/or diagnosis of developmental disability, including autism: ICD-10: F80-89; (Diagnosis of ID and/or autism in the EMR may be used to reach out to potential families).
  • Diagnosis of moderate-to-severe asthma or moderate or severe unspecified asthma or diagnosis indicated in the EMR: ICD-10: J45.40-J45.909; (Diagnosis of ID and/or autism in the EMR may be used to reach out to potential families).
  • Parent/legal guardian has a smartphone and is willing to download an application associated with the CapMedic device, is assigned to the intervention group.
  • Parent/legal guardian is willing to answer questions about their child.
  • Parent/legal guardian and adolescent must have the ability to understand study procedures and to comply with them for the entire length of the study
  • English or Spanish-speaking participants
  • Not currently involved in other studies using digital inhalers
  • Males and females of reproductive capability will be enrolled: is not necessary or required.
  • Participants must use any of the following MDIs (as indicated by the 510(k) as maintenance inhaled (ICS): Advair HFA, Flovent HFA, Symbicort HFA, Alvesco HFA, Dulera HFA, and Asmanex HFA.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Health status or any clinical conditions: limited and complex respiratory pathologies (e.g., tracheostomy, restrictive lung disease, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis) to prevent confounding in asthma treatment outcomes.
  • Inability or unwillingness of individual or legal guardian/representative to give written .
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(4)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Contraception

Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.

Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.

Corticosteroids (steroids)

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.

Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.

Life expectancy

The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
34 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Comparator

    Standard asthma education arm and passive smart inhaler every day for 8 weeks in the home setting.

    Behavioral: Use of passive remote smart inhaler in the home setting

  • Experimental
    Intervention

    Uses active smart inhaler daily for 8 weeks in the home setting.

    Behavioral: Use of active remote smart inhaler in the home setting

Interventions

  • BehavioralUse of active remote smart inhaler in the home setting

    The application of the remote smart inhaler in active setting to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and usability on inhaler use proficiency in the home setting.

  • BehavioralUse of passive remote smart inhaler in the home setting

    The application of the passive remote smart inhaler to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and usability on inhaler use proficiency in the home setting.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Feasibility of smart inhaler device for remote home management

    Feasibility will be determined by data completeness: Ratio of days on which there are valid smart inhaler data out of the total number of days

    Time frame: Weeks 1-8

  2. Acceptability of smart inhaler for remote home management

    Acceptability will be measured by response rate on user satisfaction survey item, measured on a 5-pt Likert type scale, ranging from very unsatisfied to very satisfied, with a score of 1-5 (min=1, max= 5).

    Time frame: Weeks 4 and 8

  3. Usability of smart inhaler for remote home management

    Usability will be measured by an "ease of use" smart inhaler survey item, and will be measured on a 5-pt Likert type scale, ranging from very hard to very easy, with a score of 1-5 (min=1, max= 5).

    Time frame: Weeks 4 and 8

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels

    Examine changes in FeNO levels from FeNO test, measured in parts per billion (ppb).

    Time frame: Weeks 1,4,8

  2. Change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)

    Examine changes in FEV1 using a spirometer, measured in liters/minute (l/m)

    Time frame: Weeks 1,4,8

  3. Change in peak expiratory flow (PEF)

    Examine changes in PEF using a spirometer, measured in liters/minute (l/m)

    Time frame: Weeks 1,4,8

  4. Correlation of change in Inhaler proficiency score and medication adherence

    Validated 9-step Inhaler Proficiency Scale (IPS), measured from a score of 0-9 (min=0, max=9) and correlation with medication use, with 1= yes and 0=1, (min=0, max=1) for each day of use.

    Time frame: Weeks 1, 4, 8

Other outcomes

  1. Correlation of change in medication adherence and lung function.

    Examine change in association of medication use, with 1= yes and 0=1, (min=0, max=1) for each day of use, and correlation with lung function, measured by FeNO levels or parts per billion (ppb).

    Time frame: Weeks 1,4,8

  2. Correlation of change in Inhaler proficiency score and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1).

    Validated 9-step Inhaler Proficiency Scale (IPS), measured from a score of 0-9 (min=0, max=9) and correlation with FEV1, measured in liters/minute (l/m).

    Time frame: Weeks 1,4,8

  3. Correlation of change in Inhaler proficiency score and peak expiratory flow (PEF)

    Validated 9-step Inhaler Proficiency Scale (IPS), measured from a score of 0-9 (min=0, max=9) and correlation with PEF, measured in liters/minute (l/m).

    Time frame: Weeks 1,4,8

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Study documents

PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Start is estimated for Aug 2026; primary completion for Aug 2027, 11 months later.

Of 155 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Intellectual Disability, half reached primary completion within 18 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 7 and three quarters within 36. This study's planned 11 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 158 studies reached it within 19 months; a quarter within 7 and three quarters within 36.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jul 13, 2026
First posted
Aug 5, 2026
StartEst.
Aug 10, 2026
Primary completionEst.
Aug 9, 2027
CompletionEst.
Aug 9, 2027
Last update
Aug 31, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 31, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07746921
Responsible party
Larry Yin (Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 5, 2026
Start date
Aug 10, 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Aug 9, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Aug 9, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 31, 2026

Study contacts

Alexis Deavenport-Saman, DrPH, MPH
Contact
adeavenport@chla.usc.edu
323-361-2994
Larry Yin, MD, MSPH
principal investigator · Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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