Can AI Help Asthma Patients Breathe Easier?

Artificially Intelligent Robot (AIR) Support for Pediatric Asthma Education aims to improve how children and families learn to manage asthma after hospital discharge. The project is led by nurse scientist Cynthia Foronda, Ph.D., RN, CNE, CHSE, ANEF, FAAN, with an interprofessional team from the University of Miami. It addresses the impact of asthma, which affects 1 in 12 U.S. school-age children, and where exacerbations can lead to respiratory failure and death. Foronda said barriers including limited medication access, non-adherence, linguistic diversity, and low health literacy can leave families without adequate training, and many patients do not know how to use inhalers correctly. The 2025–2026 Dean’s Research Award provides $32,295, alongside a University U-Link Chronic Diseases award covering June 1, 2026, to May 31, 2027. The study evaluates usability of a newly developed education protocol using the Human Support Robot.