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Asthma care improvement initiative shows positive results among teens
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Recent data show that a quality improvement initiative, created by researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, significantly improved asthma control and outcomes among high-risk adolescents.
The study was conducted from 2007 to 2011 and included 322 adolescent patients. Researchers used the Chronic Care Model as an evidence-based framework to guide changes in asthma care. In 2007, study participants were given questionnaires that evaluated their symptoms, medication use and feelings about their asthma management. In 2008, clinicians were trained to use motivational interviewing and behavior change counseling to encourage their patients to use self-management tools. From 2010 to 2011, the study focused on treating a group of participants (n=58) whose asthma was considered “chronically not-well-controlled.”
“We were able to achieve sustained improvement in patients whose chronic asthma is not well-controlled by implementing a package of chronic care interventions. These included standardized and evidence-based care; self-management support, such as self-monitoring by using diaries and journals; care coordination and active outreach among health care providers; linking these teens to community resources; and following up with patients whose chronic asthma is not well-controlled,” study researcher Maria Britto, MD, director of the Center for Innovation in Chronic Disease Care at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, said in a press release.
At baseline, 10% of study participants were considered to have well-controlled asthma. By the end of the study period, more than 30% of study participants were considered to be well-managed. The number of patients who felt confident in their ability to manage their asthma increased from 70% to about 85% post-intervention. Sixty percent of study participants who had poorly managed asthma were considered to be well-controlled at the end of the study period.
“Implementing interventions focused on standardized and evidence-based care, self-management support, care coordination and active outreach, linkage to community resources, and enhanced follow-up for patients with chronically not-well-controlled asthma resulted in sustained improvement in asthma control in adolescent patients. Additional interventions are likely needed for patients with chronically poor asthma control,” Britto and colleagues concluded.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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