A British autoimmune charity has launched a new digital health platform designed to tackle one of the most difficult problems facing people with autoimmune disease: recognising when apparently unrelated symptoms could form part of a bigger picture.
Developed by the Autoimmune Support & Awareness Foundation (ASA Foundation), ASAL – Autoimmune Symptom Awareness and Learning has been created to give people a structured way of recording, understanding and following their health information over time.
The platform brings together information spanning 144 autoimmune conditions and allows users to record symptoms and family history, monitor symptom trends, upload blood-test results and keep relevant information together in one place.
Crucially, ASAL can organise patient-entered information into a structured report that can be taken to a GP or consultant, giving healthcare professionals a clearer overview of the information the patient has recorded and potentially helping inform decisions about whether further or more targeted investigation is appropriate.
Why autoimmunity needs a different approach
Autoimmune disease can be particularly challenging because symptoms may affect different parts of the body and develop gradually.
Fatigue, joint or muscle problems, digestive symptoms, skin changes, neurological symptoms, dry eyes or mouth and other seemingly unrelated problems may be considered individually before the wider clinical picture becomes apparent.
ASAL has therefore been designed around the pattern, rather than simply an individual symptom.
The platform also incorporates family history and blood-test information alongside symptom tracking, helping users build a longitudinal picture of their health rather than relying on what they can remember during a short medical appointment.
ASAL does not diagnose autoimmune disease and is not intended to replace a doctor or other healthcare professional. Instead, its purpose is to improve awareness and help patients have more structured, informed conversations with their clinicians.
Founder: ‘I wanted to help connect those dots earlier’
ASA Foundation founder Asal Shirazi BEM created the platform after seeing first-hand how complex the autoimmune journey can become.
Shirazi said:
“People with autoimmune disease can spend years knowing that something is wrong with their body, while individual symptoms are investigated in isolation. I know personally how frightening and frustrating that journey can be.
“I created ASAL because I wanted to help connect those dots earlier. It brings symptoms, family history, blood-test information and changes over time together, so that a patient can walk into an appointment with a clearer picture and a structured report to discuss with their doctor.
“ASAL will never replace a GP or consultant, and it does not diagnose — its purpose is to help people recognise the pattern and ask the right questions sooner.
“If we can help even a proportion of patients reach appropriate investigation earlier, the impact on individuals, families and potentially the NHS could be enormous.”
One platform bringing the autoimmune journey together
Rather than focusing on a single autoimmune condition, ASAL has been built to reflect the breadth and complexity of autoimmunity.
Its features include:
• Information covering 144 autoimmune conditions
• Symptom recording and monitoring over time
• Family-history information
• Ability to upload and retain blood-test results
• Tracking of symptom changes and trends
• Information about inflammatory and non-inflammatory foods and potential triggers
• Autoimmune awareness and educational resources
• Information about relevant clinical trials
• A structured report that can be shared with a GP or consultant
The ASA Foundation believes this combination makes ASAL among the most comprehensive autoimmune awareness platforms of its kind, bringing information that is often fragmented across different appointments, documents and resources into one patient-focused platform.
Supporting patients — and supporting the charity
ASAL has been developed by the Autoimmune Support & Awareness Foundation, a charity dedicated to improving autoimmune awareness, education, earlier recognition and support.
Importantly, the platform has also been designed to generate funding for that work.
Proceeds from ASAL subscriptions go towards supporting the work of the ASA Foundation, helping the organisation continue its patient support, education and autoimmune awareness initiatives.
For Shirazi, the objective extends beyond launching another health app.
The ambition is to change the question patients are able to ask.
Instead of simply saying, “I have all these different symptoms — what is wrong with me?”, ASAL is designed to help them arrive with a documented history that may allow a healthcare professional to see the wider picture more easily.
Shirazi added:
“Earlier recognition begins with seeing the pattern. If technology can help patients organise that pattern and communicate it more effectively to their doctors, then we have an opportunity to make the journey through autoimmune disease better.”
About ASAL
ASAL – Autoimmune Symptom Awareness and Learning is a digital autoimmune awareness and health-information platform developed by the Autoimmune Support & Awareness Foundation.
It is an educational and awareness tool and does not provide a medical diagnosis or replace professional medical advice, assessment or treatment.
Further information and access to ASAL are available at:
About the Autoimmune Support & Awareness Foundation
The Autoimmune Support & Awareness Foundation (ASA Foundation) works to improve understanding and recognition of autoimmune disease through awareness, education and support.
Its work includes helping individuals and families affected by autoimmune conditions and educating healthcare professionals and organisations about the realities and impact of autoimmune disease.
