The great news is I've got answers! Turns out that most teens actually enjoy getting reminders about their asthma self-care if they're delivered as digital taps on the shoulder -- TCOY (take care of yourself -- if you didn't know.) As Alicia Keys and Beyonce croon in "Put It in a Love Song," "Just text me on my cell phone!"
One study found that 93% of teens who were getting text message reminders about their asthma medication said it changed -- for the better -- how they handled their asthma. Automated "robo" calls from pharmacists and doctors with reminders about taking medications and other health-related tips also work better than anything we've had before. Many of these services deliver a patient-education text, and it turns out kids like to get that, too.
The very best way to improve your son's asthma control is to help him make his own wake-up messages that he programs into his cell phone. (For kids 15 years old and younger, encourage them to program their iPod. Cell phones aren't great for developing brains.) Your son can record the reminders, mix in music, set the alarm to deliver them, and -- presto change-o! -- you have a kid who's tuned in to his own asthma control.
When kids control the timing and content of their own reminders, they feel independent -- and that lets you relax. The ADEPT study that looked at the benefits of using technology to increase teens' use of their asthma medicine found that peer support and musical clues increase adherence to the asthma-control routine from 40% to 70% (not perfect, but a whole lot better).
Here's one more tip, Mom: You can improve your own asthma-control habits, too. Get tuned in to your health maintenance organization's (HMO's) or pharmacy's automatic call system that reminds you to pick up your son's asthma prescriptions.