Asthma guidelines recommend monitoring of asthma control. However, in a substantial proportion of children, asthma is poorly controlled and the best monitoring strategy is not known.

We studied two monitoring strategies for their ability to improve asthma outcomes in comparison with standard care (SC): web-based monthly monitoring with the (Childhood) Asthma Control Test (ACT or C-ACT) and 4-monthly monitoring of FE_NO.

In this randomised controlled, partly blinded, parallel group multicentre trial with a 1-year follow-up, children aged 4–18 years with a doctor's diagnosis of asthma treated in seven hospitals were randomised to one of the three groups. In the web group, treatment was adapted according to ACT obtained via a website at 1-month intervals; in the FE_NO group according to ACT and FE_NO, and in the SC group according to the ACT at 4-monthly visits. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline in the proportion of symptom-free days (SFD).

Two-hundred and eighty children (mean age 10.4 years, 66% boys) were included; 268 completed the study. Mean changes from baseline in SFD were similar between the groups: –2.1% (web group, n=90), +8.9% (FE_NO group, n=91) versus 0.15% (SC, n=87), p=0.15 and p=0.78. Daily dose of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) decreased more in the web-based group compared with both other groups (–200 μg/day, p<0.01), while ACT and SFD remained similar.

The change from baseline in SFD did not differ between monitoring strategies. With web-based ACT monitoring, ICS could be reduced substantially while control was maintained.

NTR 1995.