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US hospitals increased number of asthma centers since 2004

Among 48 US hospitals surveyed, the number of reported asthma centers increased between 2004 and 2013, according to recent study results.

Researchers conducted surveys of US asthma centers in 2013 and compared findings with previous surveys in 2004 and 2006. They repeated a prior two-part survey of 48 participating hospitals that were part of the 36th Multicenter Airway Research Collaboration, an observational study on ED management of acute asthma. Emergency medical researchers were first asked if there was a local asthma center, defined as a stand-alone clinic focusing on asthma or a usual allergy or pulmonary clinic that has time set aside for preferential scheduling of patients with asthma. In the second survey, directors of hospitals with reported asthma centers were asked to describe center characteristics, which were then compared with those in the 2004 and 2006 surveys.

Twenty-two hospitals (46%; 95% CI, 31-61) reported having an asthma center, with 100% of those hospitals responding to the follow-up survey. Among the 48 hospitals surveyed, there were 17 sites with asthma centers identified in the 2004 and 2006 surveys, for a net increase of 29%.

Availability of environmental allergen blood testing on the same day as the office visit was reported by all asthma centers in the 2013 survey vs. 71% from the 2004 and 2006 surveys (P=.01). The availability of environmental allergen skin testing remained low in 2013 vs. 2004 and 2006, with 27% of asthma centers reporting that at least 90% of patients received a skin or blood test for environmental allergens during a visit.

“Given the potential for asthma centers to decrease the number of hospitalizations and ED visits for acute asthma and improve other asthma outcomes, the specialized care provided by asthma centers remains an important health care service in a time of increasing asthma prevalence,” the researchers concluded.

Disclosure: One of the researchers has served as a consultant for Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer and Teva. Two other researchers are employed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals.