The relationship between changes in peak expiratory flow and asthma exacerbations in asthmatic children.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is one of the most common chronic airway diseases in children. Preventing asthma exacerbation is one of the objectives of all asthma action plans. In patients with poor perception, it is difficult to identify acute asthma exacerbations by clinical asthma score, asthma control test or asthma control questionnaire. The aim of this study is to analyze whether children with asthma have changes in peak expiratory flow(PEF)before an acute asthma exacerbation and to evaluate the relationship between PEF and asthma exacerbation. METHODS: Basic information (including sex, age, atopy, etc.) and clinical information of asthmatic children who registered in the Electronic China Children's Asthma Action Plan (e-CCAAP) from 1 September 2017 to 31 August 2021 were collected. Subjects with 14 consecutive days of PEF measurements were eligible. Subjects in this study were divided into an exacerbation group and a control group. We analyzed the relationship between changes in PEF% pred and the presence of asthma symptoms. RESULT: A total of 194 children with asthma who met the inclusion criteria were included, including 144 males (74.2%) and 50 females (25.8%), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.88:1. The mean age of the subjects was 9.51 ± 2.5 years. There were no significant differences in sex, age, allergy history or baseline PEF between the two groups. In children with and without a history of allergy, there was no significant difference between the variation in PEF at 14 days. Patients who only had a reduced in PEF but no symptoms of asthma exacerbation had the greatest reduction in PEF compared to the other groups. The most common cause of acute exacerbations of asthma is upper respiratory tract infection. Among the causes of acute exacerbations of asthma, the variation in PEF caused by air pollution was significantly higher than that of other causes (P < 0.05). In acute exacerbations, the decrease in PEF was significantly greater in the exacerbation group than in the control group. In children with asthma symptoms, there was a decrease in PEF approximately 1.34 days before the onset of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Children with asthma show a decrease in PEF 1.34 days before the onset of asthma symptoms. We recommend that asthmatic children who show a decrease in PEF should step-up asthma therapy. The most common cause of acute exacerbations of asthma was upper respiratory tract infections, and the variation in PEF caused by air pollution was significantly higher than that caused by other factors.

[A CASE OF INDUCIBLE LARYNGEAL OBSTRUCTION UNSUCCESSFULLY TREATED AS SEVERE ASTHMA WAS WELL CONTROLLED AFTER APPROPRIATE DIAGNOSIS AND INSTRUCTION OF THERAPEUTIC BREATHING MANEUVERS].

BACKGROUND: Inducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO) refers to respiratory disorders caused by airflow limitation in the larynx, including vocal cord dysfunction, and may sometimes be misdiagnosed as bronchial asthma (BA). Here, we report the case of an 11-year-old boy diagnosed with BA in infancy. He was referred to our Allergy Center and was taking a high dose of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) due to frequent coughing from the age of 10 years and persistent coughing following COVID-19 infection at the age of 11. However, the patient continued to experience frequent coughing attacks and repeated visits to the emergency department after inhalation of ß2-stimulants failed to improve his cough. We admitted him to the allergy center for examinations to assess the BA severity. In the airway hypersensitiveness test, saline inhalation performed prior to methacholine inhalation caused expiratory stridor and respiratory distress in the larynx, which worsened with ß2-stimulant inhalation. Based on these results, we ruled out BA and diagnosed ILO. We instructed him on breathing maneuvers, and he was able to respond appropriately when symptoms appeared. We then started reducing his ICS dose.

Providing individualized written asthma action plans during the pediatric emergency department visit.

Introduction: Among children presenting to the pediatric emergency department (PED) with an asthma exacerbation, the objective was to determine if creating an individualized written asthma action plan (WAAP) during the PED visit, when compared with standard discharge instructions, led to fewer asthma-related unplanned return visits up to three months after the PED visit. Secondary outcomes included rates of routine follow up with a healthcare provider, asthma control scores and caregiver confidence measures.Methods: Children ages 2-17 who presented to the PED with an asthma exacerbation and did not already have a WAAP were randomized to receive discharge instructions including a WAAP versus standard discharge instructions. The WAAP was ordered by the physician and reviewed with families by a respiratory therapist as part of a brief educational session during the PED visit. Parents completed follow-up surveys at one and three months after the PED visit.Results: 91 families were enrolled and 83/91 (91%) completed at least one follow-up survey. Fewer families in the WAAP group reported an unplanned visit to a healthcare provider during the follow-up period [WAAP 7/39 (18%), Control 17/44 (39%), p = 0.038]. Inhaled corticosteroids were prescribed more commonly in the WAAP group [WAAP 29/45 (64%), Control 15/46 (33%), p = 0.002]. There was no difference in rates of routine follow-up visits, asthma control scores or caregiver confidence measures during the follow-up period.Conclusions: Families who were provided a written asthma action plan during their pediatric emergency department visit for an asthma exacerbation reported fewer unplanned visits during the subsequent three months.

A primary care learning collaborative to improve office systems and clinical management of pediatric asthma.

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric asthma is a common, relapsing-remitting, chronic inflammatory airway disease that when uncontrolled often leads to substantial patient and health care system burden. Improving management of asthma in primary care can help patients stay well controlled. METHODS: The Vermont Child Health Improvement Program (VCHIP) developed a quality improvement (QI) learning collaborative with a primary objective to improve clinical asthma management measures through improvement in primary care office systems to support asthma care. Seven months of medical record review data were evaluated for improvements on eight clinical asthma management measures. Pre and post office systems inventory (OSI) self-assessments detailing adherence to improvement strategies were analyzed for improvement. Logistic regressions were used to test for associations between OSI strategy post scores and the corresponding clinical asthma management measures by month seven. RESULTS: This study found significant improvement from baseline to month seven on seven of the eight clinical asthma management measures and between pre and post OSI for seven of the nine strategies assessed (N = 19 practices). Additionally, one point higher average OSI scores on the assessment and monitoring of asthma severity, asthma control, asthma action plans, and asthma education strategies were associated with significantly greater odds of improvement in their respective clinical asthma management measures. CONCLUSIONS: A QI learning collaborative approach in primary care can improve office systems and corresponding clinical management measures for pediatric patients with asthma. This suggests that linking specific office systems strategies to clinical measures may be a helpful tactic within the learning collaborative model.

Parental perception of a picture-based chronic asthma care management tool in an urban pediatric emergency department.

BACKGROUND: National asthma guidelines recommend use of an asthma action plan (AAP) as part of chronic asthma care. Unfortunately, AAPs have not been tailored for use in acute care settings, where many patients at risk for poor chronic asthma care are seen, including those who are non-English-speaking or have low literacy levels. We previously developed a picture-based medication plan (PBMP), a unique type of AAP for use in an ambulatory setting and designed to increase patient use and understanding. However, little is known about how parents seeking emergency department (ED) asthma care would perceive the PBMP. OBJECTIVE: To assess parental attitudes toward an asthma PBMP in the largest pediatric ED in Los Angeles County. METHODS: We surveyed a consecutive sample of English- or Spanish-speaking parents of children 2-17 years seeking ED asthma care. Parents used a 5-point Likert scale for various statements regarding their perceptions of the PBMP. Responses were analyzed by sociodemographics, asthma control, and health literacy using Chi-squared and t-tests. RESULTS: 90 parents provided feedback on the PBMP. The majority of parents endorsed the PBMP. Endorsement was 20%-30% higher among Spanish-speaking parents and those who did not complete high-school compared to English-speaking parents and parents with a high school education or higher (p < 0.05 for both comparisons). CONCLUSION: Spanish-speaking parents and parents with less than a high-school education overwhelmingly endorsed the PBMP. It may be useful to consider incorporating the PBMP as part of patient-centered chronic asthma care strategies for populations seen in ED settings.

Improving Self-Efficacy of Student Asthma Management in Elementary and Preschool Staff.

Asthma is a leading cause of chronic illness among school-aged children and adolescents. Current trends have led to school faculty and staff becoming increasingly responsible for managing student asthma, often without optimal training or resources. The purpose of this project was to establish whether facilitated access to personalized student asthma action plans (AAPs), education, proper use, and school nurse support improved reported self-efficacy regarding student asthma exacerbation prevention and management in elementary and preschool faculty and staff. Thirty-five participants from an urban, underserved Connecticut school were surveyed to determine perceived self-efficacy regarding student asthma exacerbation prevention and management. AAPs were then placed with students' asthma inhalers, and all participants were instructed on their use. Three months later, participants were resurveyed. A statistically significant difference after both the initial education and 3-month survey was identified. Providing elementary and preschool faculty and staff with facilitated access to student action plans and education on their use can improve perceived self-efficacy regarding student asthma exacerbation prevention and management.

Non-pharmacological management of adult asthma in Australia: cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort study.

Aim: To identify the level of non-pharmacological care received by middle-aged adults with current asthma in Australia and to identify its association with clinical measures. Methods: The Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS) is a population-based cohort first studied in 1968 (n = 8583). In 2010, when participants were aged 49 years, a stratified sample enriched for asthma and bronchitis underwent clinical assessments including respiratory questionnaires and lung function testing (n = 836). Current asthma was defined as self-reported asthma symptoms and/or healthcare utilization in the last 12 months. Multivariable linear regression and log-binomial models were used to assess the relevant associations. Results: Of the entire TAHS cohort, 15.6% (95% CI 13.4-18.2%) had current asthma. Of these, 37.9% (95% CI 30.5-45.9%) had seen a general practitioner for their asthma and 16.5% (95% CI 11.5-23.1%) had discussed their asthma with a pharmacist in the last 12 months. Written asthma action plans (AAPs) were reported by 17.9% (95% CI 12.9-23.2%), verbal AAPs by 53.8% (95% CI 45.9-61.6%) and doctor-assessments of inhaler technique by 42.7% (95% CI 35.2-50.5%). Adults with asthma of greater severity were more likely to have received verbal AAPs (p-trend =0.02). In contrast, adults with lower spirometry were more likely to have received verbal AAPs (p = 0.04), written AAPs (p = 0.001) and education on inhaler technique (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Despite an established evidence base and recommendations in local and international guidelines, non-pharmacological asthma management remains sub-optimal in the middle-aged adult asthma population.

US racial/ethnic disparities in childhood asthma emergent health care use: National Health Interview Survey, 2013-2015.

Objective: Racial/ethnic disparities in Emergency Department (ED) visits due to childhood asthma are well documented. We assessed disparities among multiple racial/ethnic groups and examined the effects of asthma management in emergent health care use among children in the United States.Methods: Data come from the sample child component of the 2013-2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (ages 2-17). Among children with current asthma, (N = 3336) we assessed racial/ethnic disparities in ED visits due to asthma in the past 12 months. We used multivariate logistic regression to calculate model adjusted odds ratios (ORs) including adjustment of asthma management questions available in NHIS 2013: use of an asthma action plan, preventative medication use, and an asthma management course.Results: Using 2013-2015 NHIS data, Puerto Rican children had the highest prevalence of current asthma (21.2%). Among children with asthma, significantly higher odds of ED visits were seen among all minority subgroups (except non-Hispanic other) compared to non-Hispanic white children with Hispanic other having the highest adjusted odds ratio (OR = 2.4), followed by Puerto Rican (OR = 2.0), Mexican American (OR = 1.8) and non-Hispanic black children (OR = 1.7). In sub analyses using 2013 data, adjustment of management measures resulted in a modest to no effect in the odds of having an ED visit due to asthma.Conclusions: The high prevalence of asthma and the disparity in asthma related ED visits among minority children exemplify the need for further research in understanding the mechanisms underlying the continuing existence of these health imbalances.

Evidence-Based Review of Smartphone Versus Paper Asthma Action Plans on Asthma Control.

Objective: To summarize and evaluate existing literature regarding the impact of mobile asthma action plans (MAAPs) versus written asthma action plans (WAAPs) on degree of asthma control. Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched (2000-January 2019) using the term asthma action plan with each of the following: smartphone, computers, handheld, mobile applications, portable electronic application, portable software application, tablet, or technology. Study Selection and Data Extraction: The search was limited to cohort and randomized controlled trials examining MAAP versus WAAP data. Data extracted included the following: study design, population, intervention, control, outcomes related to asthma control, and potential biases assessed using Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. Data Synthesis: Four of the 41 studies identified were included, each of which were randomized control trials. One study showed significant improvement using a non-asthma-specific assessment tool, 1 study showed improvement only for patients with uncontrolled asthma at baseline, and 2 studies showed no difference in asthma control scores. Overall risk of bias across all studies was low to moderate. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: Health care providers should select an asthma action plan (AAP) format based on what the patient is most likely to understand and consistently use. Conclusions: Because of conflicting published data regarding the use of MAAPs versus WAAPs and risk of bias, it is unclear at this time whether one format of AAP is superior to the other for either adolescents or adults.

Utilization of a patient-centered asthma passport tool in a subspecialty clinic.

INTRODUCTION: Despite available and effective tools for asthma self-assessment (Asthma Control Test, ACT) and self-management (Asthma Action Plan, AAP), they are underutilized in outpatient specialty clinics. We evaluated the impact of a patient-centered checklist, the Asthma Passport, on improving ACT and AAP utilization in clinic. METHODS: This was a randomized, interventional quality-improvement project in which the Asthma Passport was distributed to 120 pediatric asthma patients over the duration of 16 weeks. The passport's checklist consisted of tasks to be completed by the patient/family, including completion of the ACT and AAP. We compared rates of completion of the ACT and AAP for those who received the passport versus the control group, and assessed patient/caregiver and provider satisfaction. RESULTS: Based on electronic medical record data from 222 participants, the ACT completion rate was not significantly different between the passport and control groups, however, the AAP completion rate was significantly greater than control (30.0% vs. 17.7%, p = 0.04). When per-protocol analysis was limited to groups who completed and returned their passports, ACT and AAP completion rates were significantly greater than control (73.8% vs. 44.1% (p = 0.002) and 35.7% vs. 17.7% (p = 0.04), respectively). Nearly all participants reported high satisfaction with care, and surveyed providers viewed the passport favorably. CONCLUSIONS: A patient-centered checklist significantly improved the completion rate of the AAP. For patient's who completed and returned the asthma passport, the ACT completion rate was also improved. Participants and providers reported high satisfaction with the checklist, suggesting that it can effectively promote asthma self-management and self-assessment without burdening clinicians or clinic workflow.

Children with asthma and their caregivers help improve written asthma action plans: A pilot mixed-method study.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to (a) qualitatively examine caregiver and child feedback about a gold standard written asthma action plan (WAAP), and (b) determine whether having an asthma action plan was associated with child and caregiver self-efficacy in managing an exacerbation. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis of structured interviews with 22 children with persistent asthma that collected feedback about the WAAP as well as self-efficacy. An analysis of interviews used the constant comparative method to identify themes of child and caregiver statements. Caregivers completed a questionnaire that measured asthma management self-efficacy, barriers to managing asthma, and belief in the treatment efficacy using validated scales. RESULTS: Approximately 36% of the caregivers reported having a WAAP for their child from their child's pediatrician. Most caregivers stated that having pictures would improve the WAAP, while most children stated that the layout needed to be improved by adding more space between the sections. Caregivers who reported knowing what the asthma action plan was had greater self-efficacy than caregivers who did not (z = -1.99, p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Re-designing the current WAAP layout and including pictures of inhalers may promote patient understanding. Future research needs to examine if a re-designed WAAP improves asthma management of children with asthma and their caregivers.

Use of a low-literacy written action plan to improve parent understanding of pediatric asthma management: A randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to determine whether parents who use a low-literacy, pictogram- and photograph-based written asthma action plan (WAAP) have a better understanding of child asthma management compared to parents using a standard plan. METHODS: A randomized controlled study was carried out in 2 urban pediatric outpatient clinics. Inclusion criteria were English- and Spanish-speaking parents of 2- to 12-year-old asthmatic children. Parents were randomized to receive a low-literacy or standard asthma action plan (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology) for a hypothetical patient on controller and rescue medications. A structured questionnaire was used to assess whether there was an error in knowledge of (1) medications to give everyday and when sick, (2) need for spacer use, and (3) appropriate emergency response to give albuterol and seek medical help. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed, adjusting for parent age, health literacy (Newest Vital Sign); child asthma severity, medications; and site. RESULTS: 217 parents were randomized (109 intervention and 108 control). Parents who received the low-literacy plan were (1) less likely to make an error in knowledge of medications to take everyday and when sick compared to parents who received the standard plan (63.0 vs. 77.3%, p = 0.03; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.5[95% confidence interval: 0.2-0.9]) and (2) less likely to make an error regarding spacer use (14.0 vs. 51.1%, p < 0.001; AOR = 0.1 [0.06-0.3]). No difference in error in appropriate emergency response was seen (43.1 vs. 48.1%, p = 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Use of a low-literacy WAAP was associated with better parent understanding of asthma management. Further study is needed to assess whether the use of this action plan improves child asthma outcomes.

Creation and implementation of SAMPRO™: A school-based asthma management program.

Clinicians who care for children with asthma have an obligation to coordinate asthma care with the schools. Aside from routine clinical care of asthmatic children, providers must educate the family and child about the need for an asthma treatment plan in school and support the school nurse meeting the needs of the student requiring school-based asthma care. The following article was developed by multiple stakeholders to address this need. It describes the 4 components of the School-based Asthma Management Program (SAMPRO™). SAMPRO™ details elements necessary for the education of children, families, clinicians, and school-based personnel based on a "circle of support" that would enhance multidirectional communication and promote better care for children with asthma within the school setting.

Pediatric nurse practitioners effective in teaching providers the Asthma Action Plan using simulation.

Despite traditional education regarding the Asthma Action Plan (AAP), providers in the inpatient setting of a pediatric hospital reported lack of knowledge regarding the AAP and lack of confidence in teaching the AAP to patients and families. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP)-led class incorporating simulation on resident physician knowledge of the AAP and confidence in teaching families the AAP. The study setting was a 250 bed Midwest academic pediatric hospital. The 26 participants were second year residents completing a four-week pediatric pulmonary rotation. The class consisted of a brief didactic component regarding the AAP, simulation to teach a patient/parent actor the AAP based on PNP-developed scenarios, and debriefing of the experience. The average composite score on the pre- and post-simulation knowledge assessment showed improvement from 44.8% to 80.4% (p<0.001). All participants answered favorably on questions regarding perceived benefit of the class and 80.8% strongly agreed that they felt more confident teaching the AAP after the class. This study demonstrates that resident physician knowledge of the AAP and confidence in teaching the AAP improved after a PNP-led simulation class.

San Francisco childcare centers' preparedness in the prevention and management of asthma among preschool-aged children.

INTRODUCTION: Asthma is a common health condition for children in childcare. National recommendations for asthma in childcare exist. However, no studies have investigated the extent to which childcare centers adhere to these recommendations. We aimed to assess childcare center adherence to National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) recommendations for asthma care and preparedness and to identify characteristics associated with increased adherence to national asthma recommendations. METHODS: We developed a standardized instrument. Each childcare center received a score of 0 through 7 based on number of recommendations met. We conducted t-tests, chi square tests and linear regression to identify childcare center factors associated with increased asthma preparedness. RESULTS: 36 out of 40 eligible childcare centers (90%) participated. These sites served 1570 children primarily between the ages of 2 to 5 years. On average, centers met 3.8 out of 7 (SD = 1.3) recommendations. Staff familiarity caring for children with asthma (p < 0.001) and the center's asthma prevalence (p = 0.01) was positively associated with the center's asthma preparedness. The 3 areas most in need of improvement related to asthma medications, asthma action plans and asthma policies. None of the managers reported being familiar with the NAEPP recommendations. DISCUSSION: There is room for improvement in the asthma care and preparedness of childcare centers. The 3 areas in which centers performed poorly (appropriate asthma medication management, use of asthma action plans, and presence of appropriate asthma policies) suggest that closer collaboration between clinicians and childcare centers may be a key to improving asthma management for young children.

Mobile-based asthma action plans for adolescents.

PURPOSE: To examine feasibility and utilization of a mobile asthma action plan (AAP) among adolescents. METHODS: Adolescents (aged 12-17 years) with persistent asthma had their personalized AAP downloaded to a smartphone application. Teens were prompted by the mobile application to record either daily symptoms or peak flow measurements and to record medications. Once data were entered, the application provided immediate feedback based on the teen's AAP instructions. Asthma Control Test (ACT(®)) and child asthma self-efficacy scores were examined pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: Adolescents utilized the mobile AAP a median 4.3 days/week. Participant satisfaction was high with 93% stating that they were better able to control asthma by utilizing the mobile AAP. For participants with uncontrolled asthma at baseline, median (interquartile range) ACT scores improved significantly from 16 (5) to 18 (8) [p = 0.03]. Median asthma attack prevention self-efficacy scores improved from 34 (3.5) to 36 (5.3) [p = 0.04]. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that personalized mobile-based AAPs are a feasible method to communicate AAP instructions to teens.

Asthma education: different viewpoints elicited by qualitative and quantitative methods.

OBJECTIVE: This project began as a qualitative examination of how asthma education provided by health professionals could be improved. Unexpected qualitative findings regarding the use of Asthma Action Plans and the importance of insurance reimbursement for asthma education prompted further quantitative examination. METHODS: Qualitative individual interviews were conducted with primary care physicians in private practice who routinely provide initial diagnoses of asthma and focus groups were conducted with other clinicians in private primary care practices who routinely provide asthma education. Using the DocStyles quantitative tool two questions regarding Asthma Action Plans and insurance reimbursement were asked of a representative sample of physicians and other clinicians. RESULTS: The utility of Asthma Action Plans was questioned in the 2012 qualitative study. Qualitative findings also raised questions regarding whether reimbursement is the barrier to asthma education for patients performed by medical professionals it is thought to be. 2013 quantitative findings show that the majority of clinicians see Asthma Action Plans as useful. The question of whether reimbursement is a barrier to providing asthma education to patients was not resolved by the quantitative data. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of clinicians see Asthma Action Plans as a useful tool for patient education. Clinicians had less clear opinions on whether the lack of defined reimbursement codes acted as a barrier to asthma education. The study also provided useful audience data for design of new asthma educational tools developed by CDC.

Improving asthma self-management education through inhaler labeling.

Objective: Improper use and poor understanding of asthma medications can lead to poorly controlled asthma, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations for children with asthma. Pharmacists play a critical role in improving asthma medication adherence through education on asthma self-management. The use of color-coded labels applied at pharmacies to help patients differentiate between rescue and maintenance inhalers has not been explored. Methods: Pharmacies were recruited to join a community pharmacy asthma coalition. Pharmacists provided patient education and labeled inhalers with two types of color-coded stickers. A red sticker labeled "RESCUE" was used for short-acting ß-2 agonist medication inhalers. A green sticker labeled "USE EVERY DAY" was used for inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) or combination ICS/long-acting ß-2 agonist medication inhalers. Results: During the two years of the pilot program, 25 pharmacy locations participated. Pharmacies labeled over 6000 rescue and 9000 controller medications using color-coded labels. Over 1000 children and 7000 adults were served by the coalition. Conclusion: Color-coded asthma medication labels can be successfully utilized by pharmacies. This low-cost tool provides vital information regarding the proper use of asthma medications. Innovation: The color-coded labeling of asthma medications is a novel innovation that can be successfully used by pharmacists to improve asthma self-management education.

Written Asthma Action Plan Improves Asthma Control and the Quality of Life among Pediatric Asthma Patients in Malaysia: A Randomized Control Trial.

BACKGROUND: A written asthma action plan (WAAP) is one of the treatment strategies to achieve good asthma control in children. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted to observe the effect of WAAP on asthma control and quality of life using the Asthma Control Questionnaire and Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) at baseline and after 3 months. A repeated measure analysis of variance was used to analyze the mean score difference between the two groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in mean score for asthma control at baseline between groups (F[degree of freedom (df)]=1.17 [1, 119], P=0.282). However, at 3 months, a significant difference in mean scores between groups was observed (F[df]=7.32 [1, 119], P=0.008). The mean±standard deviation (SD) scores in the intervention and control groups were 0.96±0.53 and 1.21±0.49, respectively. For the analysis of the PAQLQ, no significant difference was observed in the mean score for the quality of life baseline in both groups. There were significant mean score changes for the quality of life (F[df]=10.9 [1, 119], P=0.001) at 3 months follow-up, where those in the intervention group scored a mean±SD score of 6.19±0.45, and those in the control group scored 5.94±0.38. A time-group interaction analysis using repeated-measures analysis of variance showed significant differences in mean score changes (F[df]=5.03 [1, 116], P=0.027) and (F[df]=11.55 [1, 116], P=0.001) where a lower mean score was observed in the intervention group, indicating better asthma control and quality of life, respectively. A significant (P<0.001) negative Pearson correlation between asthma control and quality of life (-0.65) indicated a moderate correlation. CONCLUSION: WAAP, along with standard asthma treatment, improves asthma care.

Improvement of quality of life in a family of a child with asthma after using the Written Asthma Action Plan (WAAP).

Background: Asthma is a common childhood disease that leads to impairment of quality of life (QOL) of both the children affected by the disease and their caregivers. Management of asthma includes pharmacotherapy along with education about asthma and its self-management, which is most often given verbally. There is limited evidence regarding the benefits of using a written asthma action plan (WAAP) that has been improved using pictorial representation. Objective: The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a WAAP in improving the QOL of children with bronchial asthma and also of their caregivers. It also educates the patients and families about various triggers and danger signs of an acute attack of asthma. Methods: This was an interventional study with the aim of improving the quality of asthma management. Children of age group 7-17 years in whom the diagnosis of asthma was made and those parents and children who could read and answer the questionnaire (mini-PAQLQ and PACQLQ) were included in the study. Subjects were randomized into Case and Control groups. The intervention was to give the randomly selected patients (Case group) an individualized WAAP along with standard asthma care to both groups. Both groups were followed up to assess and record variations in the quality of life. Results: The P value was highly significant in the following parameters post-intervention: missed doses of controller medication (P value = 0.001), need for rescue medication (<0.001), ACT score (0.001), total PAQLQ (<0.001), and PACQLQ (<0.001) score. Though statistical significance was not established, improvement was also observed in the number of unscheduled OPD visits (P value = 0.082) and hospitalization events (P value = 0.554). Conclusion: On being provided with the WAAP, the frequency of acute asthma events, treatment compliance, and QOL improved. There was a significant increase in the primary outcomes-PAQLQ and PACQLQ scores. Significant improvement in the secondary outcomes-number of missed school days, missed doses of controller medication, need for rescue medication, and ACT score was also observed.