OBJECTIVES: 1) Integrate the Automated Live E-Health Response Tracking System (ALERTS) disease management program's Internet platform with existing interactive voice response (IVR) and other technologies; 2) Customize patient templates for recording Peak Expiratory Flow measurements, answering questionnaires that assess asthma symptoms and severity, and receiving feedback to enhance asthma control; 3) Customize provider templates to generate appropriate individualized patient reports that can be retrieved on demand, enabling better triage of asthmatic cases through rules-based triggers and alerts; and 4) Deploy ALERTS to representative asthmatic patients at ProHealth Physicians (PHP). METHODS: PHP recruited 71 patients at 6 clinics. Patients signed informed consent and accessed the program via their preferred method(s) of communication. Overall acceptability of the program was assessed using a participant satisfaction survey. Patients and providers were paid for participating for a minimum of 3 months. RESULTS: The ALERTS program was initiated successfully with 71 asthmatic patients of varying ages and disease severity. Patients had indicated that they lacked a mechanism to interact with their physician and nurses before and after the office visits (25% rarely, 25% frequently and 50% never interact with health care providers) and 40% of them said they received care in the Emergency Room at least once per year. Although initially skeptical, the majority of patients and physicians liked the program and were able to use it; 22% of patients accessed the program via Internet and the remainder used IVR. Qualitative analysis demonstrated that some patients who had previously never been controlled were empowered and 30-50% benefited from the program, depending on the severity of their asthma. CONCLUSION: The Asthma ALERTS program addressed these issues by enhancing the participation and engagement of patients and empowering them in self-management of their asthma. Issues currently being addressed include incentives for patient and physician participation and streamlining of enrollment processes.