Breathe

Improving lung health for people living with asthma and COPD.

Asthma is one of the most common respiratory diseases globally and its prevalence is increasing. On average, 7.8% of Canadians were diagnosed with asthma in 2019. The direct and indirect impacts of asthma affect individuals physically, emotionally, and socially. By 2030, it is estimated that asthma will cost Canadians more than $4 billion annually. Due to severe asthma exacerbations, there have been over 60,000 emergency room visits in 2019. However, these occurrences could have been averted with effective prevention and management measures.

A digital respiratory ecosystem that can aggregate qualitative and quantitative patient information to derive personalized patient insights as to how a patient manages their asthma

The approach

Breathe helps patients detect when they might be exacerbating based on direct symptom input into the mobile application. The application feeds these symptoms through our rules-based expert system that identifies the early onset of an exacerbation. It stores the patient’s self-management action plan and gives them relevant instructions when it sees that their symptoms are getting worse. These instructions are delivered through a chatbot that provides information, support, and education to the patient when they need it most.

Supporting patients in their asthma self-management by:

  • Confirming their diagnosis

  • Monitoring for control and care plan effectiveness

  • Driving medication adherence & education

  • Promoting just-in-time use of their Action Plan

Chatbot
Diagnosis decision aid
Air quality forecast
Bluetooth spirometer
Breezhaler assistant
Daily medication reminder
Smart inhaler cap

Breathe integrations

Breezhaler assistant

A sensing algorithm which acoustically detects whether daily medication was effectively administered.

Bluetooth spirometer

A Bluetooth-based device which allows users to complete remote spirometry tests to monitor their lung function.

Smart inhaler cap

Records the usage of a rescue inhaler by collecting the date, time, and number of doses administered.

In partnership with Best Care and Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Christopher Licskai

Respirologist CEO of Best Care