Aeo is a rethink of medication delivery for asthma patients. Asthma is a chronic disease and patients depend on medication on a daily basis. The prevalence of asthma is increasing tremendously: for the year 2025 there are 450 million asthma patients expected.

Aeo is a system of caring and friendly products supporting a mindful medication-intake. The kit consists of two different inhalers. The first is for preventive medication and is equipped with dosing support. The second is for rescue medication and includes symptom tracking. The app provides the patients with the information needed about asthma control by using the recorded data of the inhaler usage.

Aeo is an asthma medication kit to promote condition awareness. The kit provides the affected person with information about the individual medication dosage and promotes learning about patient-specific triggers. A more mindful approach to asthma medication has the potential for the health care system to reduce health care related costs, which are linked to emergency visits and sick leaves from school and work. Furthermore it helps to prevent over and under-dosing of medication, which reduces side effects and prevents asthma attacks.

A more conscious approach to asthma medication has the potential for the health care system to reduce health care related costs, which are linked to emergency visits and sick leaves from school and work.

The Problem With Asthma Control

Three key reasons for bad asthma control are: unawareness of symptoms and worsening signs, lack of education about medication intake and not being able to interpret monitored data.

Firstly, a common problem is that current monitoring solution use very data and number oriented measurement methods. Interpreting the measured number wrongly or monitoring in an excessive way can cause anxiety, confusion or an over reaction about the own condition in the asthma patient. Also, only looking for precise numbers can take away the importance of being aware of the symptoms itself. Expert feedback indicated that symptoms are an important marker of the level of asthma control, in some cases even more important than objective parameters.

The second problem is if a bad airway condition gets the norm asthma patients are unable to identify worsening signs. Specially young patients often getting used to a bad condition, not getting enough air becomes normal and they don't react by adjusting the medication intake. Further, asthmatics often rely on their rescue medication instead of adjusting their preventive medication in order to avoid attacks.

Thirdly, there is a lack of education about the correct usage of the inhaler. For instance, meter dose inhaler often train bad habits and when users are not inhaling strong enough. There is a need of giving reassurance about correct inhalation. User research as well as expert feedback indicated a need for better education about the correct usage of medication delivery devices as well as on the dosing of medication.

Summary

Aeo is a rethink of medication delivery for asthma patients. Asthma is a chronic disease and patients depend on medication on a daily basis. The prevalence of asthma is increasing tremendously: for the year 2025 there are 450 million asthma patients expected.

Aeo is a system of caring and friendly products supporting a mindful medication-intake. The kit consists of two different inhalers. The first is for preventive medication and is equipped with dosing support. The second is for rescue medication and includes symptom tracking. The app provides the patients with the information needed about asthma control by using the recorded data of the inhaler usage.

Aeo is an asthma medication kit to promote condition awareness. The kit provides the affected person with information about the individual medication dosage and promotes learning about patient-specific triggers. A more mindful approach to asthma medication has the potential for the health care system to reduce health care related costs, which are linked to emergency visits and sick leaves from school and work. Furthermore it helps to prevent over and under-dosing of medication, which reduces side effects and prevents asthma attacks.

A more conscious approach to asthma medication has the potential for the health care system to reduce health care related costs, which are linked to emergency visits and sick leaves from school and work.

The Problem With Asthma Control

Asthma symptoms change in severity and prevalence over time and from person to person. It is important to evaluate airway inflammation and adjust medication frequently and distinct.

Three key reasons for bad asthma control are: unawareness of symptoms and worsening signs, lack of education about medication intake and not being able to interpret monitored data.

Firstly, a common problem is that current monitoring solution use very data and number oriented measurement methods. Interpreting the measured number wrongly or monitoring in an excessive way can cause anxiety, confusion or an over reaction about the own condition in the asthma patient. Also, only looking for precise numbers can take away the importance of being aware of the symptoms itself. Expert feedback indicated that symptoms are an important marker of the level of asthma control, in some cases even more important than objective parameters.

The second problem is if a bad airway condition gets the norm asthma patients are unable to identify worsening signs. Specially young patients often getting used to a bad condition, not getting enough air becomes normal and they don't react by adjusting the medication intake. Further, asthmatics often rely on their rescue medication instead of adjusting their preventive medication in order to avoid attacks.

Thirdly, there is a lack of education about the correct usage of the inhaler. For instance, meter dose inhaler often train bad habits and when users are not inhaling strong enough. There is a need of giving reassurance about correct inhalation. User research as well as expert feedback indicated a need for better education about the correct usage of medication delivery devices as well as on the dosing of medication.

The Brief: A Need for a Distinct Asthma Medication Dosing and Monitoring System

User research indicated, for some users medication is a way to keep up an active lifestyle, they depend on a critical medication intake in order to perform. The Aeo preventive inhaler provides a way to consciously dose the medication according to the current asthma condition.

Also, frequent indication about that the need of medication is linked to the current condition and so encouraged the user to change the dose according to how they feel. Users' understanding of their medication, has the potential to improve asthma symptom control.

The first Aeo inhaler is for corticosteroid intake and is used for daily preventive medication, mornings and evenings. The Aeo preventive medication inhaler measures the FEV1 level with the first exhalation into the device. The objective measurements of the airway condition are translated into "puffs" and the device gives a recommendation about the medication dose.

Asthmatics often rely on their rescue medication instead of adjusting their preventive medication to prevent attacks. The Aeo preventive inhaler encourages the user to adjust preventive medication frequently.

User research indicated that dry powder inhaler don't give enough reassurance about correct inhalation. Still, DPI's have good accuracy when it comes to inhaling compared to meter dose inhaler. The Aeo preventive medication inhaler shows every correct inhaled puff by releasing the loading button.

Symptom Awareness

The second Aeo inhaler is a pocket friendly device for rescue medication which includes symptom tracking. According to expert feedback during the design process, recording when and how often the patient uses the rescue medication is a very good marker for asthma control. The usage pattern of the rescue medication gives information about patient's asthma condition. Each rescue medication puff is recorded and preventive medication is adjusted according to the level of symptom control.

Gradually Increased Understanding and Self-Perception Through Education and Biofeedback

The focus of the kit is on the improvement of the user self-perception over time. Learning about the own contrition and the effect of the medication can take time. Education is important for newly diagnosed as well as ones with asthma history because triggers and medication effect can change over time.

Comparing the level of asthma control to possible asthma causes like air temperature and humidity, allergens in the air and individual exercise level helps the user to identify patient specific triggers and learn about them.

Changing the Perception of a Conventional Health Care Product

Conventional asthma inhalers are obsolete medication products and often perceived as a sign for being sick. Aeo intends to be a system of elegant, discrete and intelligent products which are designed for a lifestyle context. Next to the medication devices, the service app makes it caring and human product solution.

Implementation

The Aeo devices are intended to replace single-use inhalers by providing a durable product solution combined with disposable medication cartridges. This solution aims to reduce waste parts and provides the user with a discreet medication device for private as well as public usage.

Preventive medication is implemented in the daily routine of the asthmatic and provides frequent documentation of the asthma condition. A more proactive system and frequent documentation of the patient's asthma condition can help physicians improve patient outcomes efficiently. It gives patients the possibility to share their data in an easy way. Such data has the potential to become the basis for a more fact-based conversation between asthma patient and health care professional.

A digital and frequent documentation of the patient's asthma condition provides a more fact based patient-physician communication. Due to the daily recorded FEV1 value and the recorded usage of the rescue inhaler, physician consultations can be used by the patient in a more efficient way.