Effect of the Telemedicine Enhanced Asthma Management Through the Emergency Department (TEAM-ED) Program on Asthma Morbidity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To test the effectiveness of a telemedicine-based program in reducing asthma morbidity among children who present to the emergency department (ED) for asthma, by facilitating primary care follow-up and promoting delivery of guideline-based care. STUDY DESIGN: We included children (3-12 years of age) with persistent asthma who presented to the ED for asthma, who were then randomly assigned to Telemedicine Enhanced Asthma Management through the Emergency Department (TEAM-ED) or enhanced usual care. TEAM-ED included (1) school-based telemedicine follow-ups, completed by a primary care provider, (2) point-of-care prompting to promote guideline-based care, and 3) an opportunity for 2 additional telemedicine follow-ups. The primary outcome was the mean number of symptom-free days (SFDs) over 2 weeks at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. RESULTS: We included 373 children from 2016 through 2021 (participation rate 68%; 54% Black, 32% Hispanic, 77% public insurance; mean age, 6.4 years). Demographic characteristics and asthma severity were similar between groups at baseline. Most (91%) TEAM-ED children had ≥1 telemedicine visit and 41% completed 3 visits. At 3 months, caregivers of children in TEAM-ED reported more follow-up visits (66% vs 48%; aOR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.28-3.33), preventive asthma medication actions (90% vs 79%; aOR, 3.28; 95% CI, 1.56-6.89), and use of a preventive medication (82% vs 69%; aOR, 2.716; 95% CI, 1.45-5.08), compared with enhanced usual care. There was no difference between groups in medication adherence or asthma morbidity. When only prepandemic data were included, there was greater improvement in SFDs over time for children in TEAM-ED vs enhanced usual care. CONCLUSIONS: TEAM-ED significantly improved follow-up and preventive care after an ED visit for asthma. We also saw improved SFDs with prepandemic data. The lack of overall improvement in morbidity and adherence indicates the need for additional ongoing management support. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02752165.

The Telehealth Education for Asthma Connecting Hospital and Home (TEACHH) pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of a novel intervention of health literacy-informed, telemedicine-enhanced asthma education and home management support for hospitalized children and caregivers, and assess caregiver perspectives of the intervention. METHODS: We conducted a pilot randomized trial of the Telehealth Education for Asthma Connecting Hospital and Home (TEACHH) intervention vs. standardized care (SC) for children (5-13 yrs) hospitalized with asthma. Participants in TEACHH received health literacy-informed teaching prior to discharge, including pictorial materials (e.g. flipchart, action plan), color- and shape-coded medication labels, and medication demonstration. Two Zoom-based follow-up teaching visits were completed within 1-month of discharge. Feasibility was assessed by tracking visit completion, and we measured preliminary outcomes using health records (i.e. total asthma-related acute healthcare visits) and blinded surveys of caregivers 2-, 4-, and 6-months post-discharge (i.e. symptom-free days, quality of life). We interviewed caregivers about their perceptions of TEACHH. Transcripts were coded inductively. RESULTS: We enrolled 26 children and interviewed 14 caregivers (9 TEACHH, 5 SC). All inpatient sessions were completed, as were 77% of virtual visits. Both groups experienced improved symptoms and quality of life over time. Caregivers valued the teaching, involvement of children, visual tools, and color-coded information of TEACHH. They described child-specific benefits, greater support after discharge, and improved asthma-related communication, and indicated that other families would benefit from similar teaching. CONCLUSIONS: A novel program of patient-centered asthma education was feasible in both hospital and home settings and well received by caregivers. A larger study is needed to assess the impact of TEACHH on childhood asthma morbidity. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT04995692 (Registration date 8/9/2021).

Utilization of the emergency department as a routine source of care among children with asthma.

Objective: To describe characteristics of children with persistent asthma in the ED who receive most of their healthcare in emergency settings; and determine whether recent asthma experiences or historic patterns of care are associated with identifying the ED as a typical location for care.Methods: We conducted a sub-analysis of baseline data from Telemedicine Enhanced Asthma Management through the Emergency Department (TEAM-ED), an RCT of children (3-12 years) presenting to the ED with persistent asthma (2016-2020). Caregivers identified reasons for seeking emergency care, including if their child received most overall healthcare in the ED ('ED Care'; primary outcome) or not ('Other Care'). Independent variables included demographics, recent symptoms and quality of life (QOL), and historic preventive care and healthcare use. We compared responses between ED Care and Other Care groups using bivariate and multivariate analyses.Results: We analyzed data for 355 children (31% ED Care, 69% Other Care). Compared with Other Care, ED Care respondents were more likely to identify the ED as the closest source of healthcare; report fewer symptom nights but a poorer quality of life; and describe the ED as a usual place for sick care, despite most having a PCP.Conclusions: Many children with asthma use the ED as a typical source of healthcare, and are distinguished by need for proximity, poorer caregiver QOL, and historic patterns of care-seeking. Efforts to improve timely access to outpatient care and reinforce the role of PCP-directed asthma management, such as through telemedicine, may reduce preventable morbidity including ED visits.

Allergic rhinitis co-morbidity on asthma outcomes in city school children.

BACKGROUND: School based asthma programs have demonstrated that preventive asthma therapy administered in school reduces asthma morbidity. The burden of co-morbid allergic disease on asthma outcomes in a large school based asthma cohort has been unexplored. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) in historically minoritized school children with persistent asthma, and determine if AR is an independent risk factor for asthma morbidity. METHODS: We evaluated the prevalence of AR in children enrolled in 3 NIH funded school based asthma programs in Rochester, NY. We used linear regression and multivariate analyses to compare asthma outcomes for children whose caregivers did and did not report AR. RESULTS: We used data from 1,029 children with asthma (mean age 7.4, 60.4% Black, 29.5% Hispanic, 72.8% insured with Medicaid). 63% of children reported AR. Children with AR had significantly fewer symptom free days over 2 weeks compared to children without AR (7.2 vs. 8.3, p < 0.001). Children with AR also had more daytime symptoms, (4.7 vs. 3.7, p < 0.001), more rescue medication use (4.5 vs. 3.4, p < 0.01), and more activity limitation due to asthma (3.6 vs. 2.5, p < 0.001). Only 44% of children with AR reported allergy medication use. CONCLUSIONS: Among a large school-based cohort of minoritized children with asthma, we found that the majority of children have comorbid allergic rhinitis, which was associated with increased asthma morbidity. Inadequate recognition and treatment for allergic rhinitis likely represents substantial preventable morbidity for this group.

The relationship between teen-reported nocturnal asthma symptoms and daily functioning.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify associations between nocturnal asthma awakenings and functional health outcomes in a cohort of teenagers with asthma. METHODS: We analyzed baseline data from teenagers enrolled in SB-ACT, an NIH-funded RCT. During an at-home baseline survey, teenagers with asthma answered questions about demographics, recent asthma symptoms, and functional health outcomes. We conducted regression analyses to explore the relationship between persistent nocturnal asthma symptoms (≥2 nights of nocturnal asthma awakenings in the past 14 days) and functional health measures. RESULTS: Of the 430 teens enrolled (Participation rate = 79%, Mean Age = 13.4), 30% reported persistent nocturnal asthma symptoms. Compared to teens with intermittent nocturnal asthma symptoms, teens with persistent nocturnal asthma symptoms were more likely to report physical limitation during strenuous activities (OR = 1.9, 1.3-3.0), moderate activities (OR = 1.9, 1.2-3.1), and school gym (OR = 2.4, 1.5-3.8). They were also more likely to report depressive symptoms (OR = 2.3, 1.5-3.6), more asthma-related school absenteeism in the past 14 days (0.81 vs 0.12, p < 0.01) and poorer quality of life (4.6 vs 5.9, p < 0.01). These findings remained significant when controlling for daytime asthma symptoms, weight status, race, ethnicity, gender, age, and smoke exposure. CONCLUSIONS: In this cross-sectional study, persistent nighttime asthma symptoms were associated with poor functional health outcomes among teens, independent of day-time symptoms. Identifying nighttime symptoms and improving asthma control at night may positively impact daily functioning for these teens.

Effect of the School-Based Asthma Care for Teens (SB-ACT) program on asthma morbidity: a 3-arm randomized controlled trial.

Urban adolescents with asthma often have inadequate preventive care. We tested the effectiveness of the School-Based Asthma Care for Teens (SB-ACT) program on asthma morbidity and preventive medication adherence.Methods:Subjects/Setting- 12-16yr olds with persistent asthma in Rochester, NY schools. Design- 3-group randomized trial (2014-2019). SB-ACT Intervention- Two core components: 1) Directly observed therapy (DOT) of preventive asthma medications, provided in school for at least 6-8 weeks for the teen to learn proper technique and experience the benefits of daily preventive therapy; 2) 4-6 weeks later, 3 sessions of motivational interviewing (MI) to discuss potential benefits from DOT and enhance motivation to take medication independently. We included 2 comparison groups: 1) DOT-only for 6-8wks, and 2) asthma education (AE) attention control. Masked follow-up assessments were conducted at 3, 5, and 7mos. Outcomes- Mean number of symptom-free days (SFDs)/2 weeks and medication adherence. Analyses- Modified intention-to-treat repeated measures analysis.Results: We enrolled 430 teens (56% Black, 32% Hispanic, 85% Medicaid). There were no group differences at baseline. We found no difference in SFDs at any follow-up timepoint. More teens in the SB-ACT and DOT-only groups reported having a preventive asthma medication at each follow-up (p<.001), and almost daily adherence at 3 and 5-months (p<.001, p=.003) compared to AE. By 7 months there were no significant differences between groups in adherence (p=.49).Conclusion: SB-ACT improved preventive medication availability and short-term adherence but did not impact asthma symptoms. Further work is needed to create developmentally appropriate and effective interventions for this group.

Health-related internet use among adolescents with uncontrolled persistent asthma.

OBJECTIVES: To describe internet use for health information among adolescents with uncontrolled persistent asthma, and to examine whether health-related internet use is associated with responsibility for home asthma management. METHODS: We analyzed baseline data from the School-Based Asthma Care for Teens (SB-ACT) Trial, which included adolescents (12-16 years) in an urban school district who had uncontrolled persistent asthma per caregiver report. We asked adolescents whether they had ever used the Internet to look for health or medical information (Y/N). Teens then described family responsibility for 9 asthma management tasks (e.g. full caregiver responsibility, shared responsibility, or full teen responsibility). We examined responsibility sum scores in addition to responsibility for individual management tasks. We used bivariate and multivariate analyses to compare health-related internet use with participant characteristics, teen-reported asthma symptoms, and management responsibility. RESULTS: We examined data for 425 adolescents (mean age 13.4 years). Almost half (45%) reported seeking health information on the Internet. In adjusted analyses, health-related internet use was strongly associated with teen responsibility (sum score and tasks relating to carrying and using medications); internet use was also more likely among teens who were older, female, or reported uncontrolled disease. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with persistent asthma who share responsibility for home management or report uncontrolled disease are more likely to seek health information online. Future interventions to support teens who co-manage asthma should work to engage patients in both clinical and digital spaces, and ensure that all patients can access accurate, patient-centered asthma information when needed.

Food allergy in at-risk adolescents with asthma: A key area for focus.

BACKGROUND: Asthma affects more than 6.2 million children in the United States and is a major source of chronic disease burden. Concurrent food allergy (FA) may be a risk factor for worse asthma outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of FA among a cohort of adolescents with persistent asthma and assess whether FA is an independent risk factor for asthma morbidity. METHODS: We included 342 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years with persistent asthma from the Rochester city school district who participated in the School-Based Asthma Care for Teens trial between 2014 and 2018. Multivariable models were used to estimate the association between FA and asthma morbidity. RESULTS: Overall, 29% of adolescents with asthma reported having a FA. Although there were no statistically significant differences in daytime asthma symptoms, teens with FA had higher fractional exhaled nitric oxide (47.5 vs 33.9 P = .002) and reported more days with activity limitation owing to asthma (3.1 vs 2.3 days/2 weeks, P = .03) compared with teens without FA. Less than half (42%) of adolescents with FA had an epinephrine autoinjector. CONCLUSION: This study found FA to be common among this cohort of adolescents with asthma. Although FA was not related to asthma symptom severity, adolescents with FA had higher fractional exhaled nitric oxide and more activity limitation, and most did not have epinephrine autoinjectors. A history of FA and lack of epinephrine autoinjector may increase near-fatal outcomes in adolescents with asthma. Preventive measures in addition to standard asthma treatments are warranted for these teens.

Identifying which children with persistent asthma have preventive medications available at home.

Objective: To compare caregiver-reported preventive medication use and pharmacy data with medications available at home for children with persistent asthma, and identify factors associated with having preventive medication at home.Methods: We analyzed baseline data from the School-Based Telemedicine Enhanced Asthma Management (SB-TEAM) study, including medication use, symptoms, and demographics. Research assistants documented all asthma medications available during home visits. We reviewed pharmacy records for a subset of children. Bivariate and multivariate analyses identified factors associated with having any preventive medication in the home.Results: We included 335 children (mean 7.7 years, 56% Black, 34% Hispanic, 77% Medicaid; participation 79%). Most caregivers (69%) reported preventive medication use, yet only 45% had preventive medication at home. Compared to families with preventive medication at home, more families without preventive medication reported discontinuous insurance in the prior year (7% vs. 15%, p = .02) and medication sharing (22% vs. 32%, p = .04). For the subset with pharmacy records (n = 192), 40% filled a preventive medication in the past year and 15% had a preventive medication at home. In multivariate analyses, children were less likely to have preventive medication at home when caregivers reported no preventive medication use in the past 2 weeks (OR 0.25; 95% CI 0.14, 0.43), discontinuous insurance (OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.19, 0.97), medication sharing (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.32, 0.91), or caregiver education ≥ HS (OR 0.59; 95% CI 0.35, 0.99).Conclusion: Among urban children with persistent asthma, neither caregiver report nor pharmacy data reflect home preventive medication availability. Inquiring about insurance coverage and medication sharing may improve preventive medication availability for these children.

Comparing inhaled medications reported by adolescents with persistent asthma and their caregivers.

Objectives: To compare concordance (agreement) between teens with persistent asthma and their caregivers on the reported number of inhaled asthma medications used (rescue and controller); examine concordance specific to controller medications; and determine whether concordance over controller medications within caregiver/teen dyads is associated with demographics or clinical outcomes.Methods: We used baseline data from the School-Based Asthma Care for Teens (SB-ACT) trial in urban Rochester, NY. Caregivers and teens (12-16 yrs.) with poorly controlled persistent asthma separately reported the teens' inhaled therapy, and could name up to two rescue and two controller medications. We compared the total number of medications and number of controller medications reported by each dyad member with Cohen's Kappa, and assessed whether concordance over the number of controller medications was associated with demographics, symptoms, or healthcare utilization using chi-square and t-tests.Results: Of 210 dyads (79% public health insurance, 61% Black teens), 132 (63%) were disconcordant in reporting the overall number of inhaled medications. Teens or caregivers from 173 dyads (82%) reported any controller medication; however, a majority (61%) were discordant in the reporting of controller medications. Compared with concordant dyads, fewer caregivers from dyads with controller medication discordance reported education past high school (35% vs. 51%, p = 0.04); no other differences in demographics, symptoms, or healthcare utilization were identified based on controller medication concordance.Conclusions: Most dyads identified different numbers of inhaled medications, with substantial disagreement over controller medications. Working to ensure a basic understanding of treatment plans may promote successful self-management in persistent childhood asthma.

Asthma symptoms, interactive physical play and behavioral and academic outcomes in urban children with persistent asthma.

OBJECTIVES: Asthma may lead to reduced participation in interactive physical play (IPP). Urban youth with asthma are also at risk for behavioral and academic difficulties. Exploring associations between asthma, IPP and socio-emotional and academic outcomes in children with asthma is important. Study objectives are to: (1) describe IPP participation among school children with persistent asthma; (2) determine if IPP varies with asthma severity (3) determine independent associations of both asthma severity and IPP with socio-emotional and academic outcomes. METHODS: We analyzed data from children with persistent asthma enrolled in the SB-TEAM trial (Rochester, NY). Caregiver surveys assessed asthma severity, IPP participation (gym ≥3 days/week, running at recess, sports team participation), socio-emotional and academic outcomes. Bivariate and regression analyses assessed relationships between variables. RESULTS: Of 324 children in the study (59% Black, 31% Hispanic, mean age 7.9), 53% participated in any IPP at school. Compared to those with mild persistent asthma, fewer children with moderate-severe asthma had no limitation in gym (44% vs. 58%, p < .01), and fewer ran at recess (29% vs. 42%, p < .01) or engaged in any IPP (48% vs. 58%, p = .046). Asthma severity was not associated with socio-emotional or academic outcomes. However, children participating in IPP had better positive peer social and task orientation skills, were less shy/anxious, and more likely to meet academic standards (all p < .05). Results were consistent in multivariable analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Urban children with moderate-severe asthma partake in less IPP, which is associated with socio-emotional and academic outcomes. Further efforts are needed to optimize asthmatic children's participation in IPP.

The relationship between caregivers' subjective social status and asthma symptoms and management for urban children.

OBJECTIVE: Subjective social status (SSS) is a person's perception of his/her social standing among others. We explored the relationship between caregivers' SSS and asthma symptoms, visits, and medication use among children with persistent asthma. METHODS: We analyzed baseline data of children (3-10 years) from the SB-TEAM trial in Rochester, NY. Using a modified MacArthur Scale of SSS, caregivers rated themselves "a lot worse off" to "a lot better off" compared to 4 groups (e.g., neighbors). "Low SSS" was defined by a response of "a lot worse off" or "somewhat worse off" for any of the referent groups. Caregivers reported their child's asthma symptoms, healthcare visits for asthma, and medication use. Bivariate and multivariate statistics were used. RESULTS: We found that, of the 230 children enrolled (participation rate:78%, 62% Black, 72% Medicaid), 29% of caregivers had low SSS. Caregivers with low SSS had more depressive symptoms (46% vs. 28%) and lower social support (69.1 vs. 77.7). In multivariable analyses, children of caregivers with low SSS had fewer symptom-free days/2 weeks (5.8 vs. 7.9, p = .01). While they were more likely to have a routine asthma visit in the past year (35% vs. 23%, adjusted p = .03), there was no difference in their use of preventive medication. CONCLUSIONS: Many caregivers of children with persistent asthma report low SSS. While children of these caregivers had fewer symptom-free days, they were not more likely to use preventive medications. Efforts are needed to support these caregivers to ensure optimal preventive care and reduce morbidity.

Recruitment and retention of the Hardest-to-Reach families in community-based asthma interventions.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Engaging underserved populations in research requires substantial effort for recruitment and retention. The objective of this study is to describe the effort needed to recruit and retain urban participants in pediatric asthma studies and to characterize the Hardest-to-Reach group by demographics and asthma severity. METHODS: We included 311 children (3-10 years) with persistent asthma enrolled in two school-based asthma interventions in Rochester, NY. Contact logs were collected at four time points (baseline, 2 month, 4 month, 6 month). We defined "Hardest-to-Reach" (vs "Easier-to-Reach") as being unable to reach a family by telephone at any given contact attempt due to disconnected or wrong numbers. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare groups. RESULTS: Overall, we enrolled 311 children (60% Black, 29% Hispanic, 70% Medicaid, response rate 70%). On average, 3.1 contact attempts were required for recruitment (range 1-15), and 35% required rescheduling at least once for the enrollment visit. All but 12 participants completed each follow-up (retention rate = 96%). Completion of follow-ups required an average of 7.6 attempts; we considered 38% of caregivers "Hardest-to-Reach." Caregivers in the Hardest-to-Reach group were slightly younger (33 vs 36 years, p = 0.007) with more depressive symptoms (41% vs 29%, p = 0.035) and smokers in the home (59% vs 48%, p = 0.048). Furthermore, more of the Hardest-to-Reach children had moderate-severe versus mild persistent asthma (64% vs 52%, p = 0.045). Importantly, even the Easier-to-Reach families required many contact attempts, with 52% having >5 attempts for at least one follow-up. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we found that among an already vulnerable population, the Hardest-to-Reach families demonstrated higher risk and had children with significantly worse asthma. This study highlights the importance of persistence in reaching those in greatest need.

Physical activity, restrictions in activity, and body mass index among urban children with persistent asthma.

BACKGROUND: Asthma and obesity are public health problems that disproportionately affect underserved children. Urban children with asthma may be limited in their participation in physical activity, further increasing their risk for overweight. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among high-risk children with persistent asthma, to assess physical activity and activity restrictions by level of asthma control, and to evaluate whether activity is associated with weight status. METHODS: We analyzed baseline data from 324 urban children with poorly controlled asthma (3-10 years old) enrolled in the School-Based Telemedicine Enhanced Asthma Management program in Rochester, New York. Caregivers reported their child's asthma symptoms, physical activity, and activity limitation, and height and weight were measured. RESULTS: Most children were black (59%), and 69% had Medicaid. Almost half (47%) of children had symptoms that indicated poorly controlled asthma, 15% were overweight, and 31% were obese. Few children (39%) participated in 1 or more hour of physical activity per day. In addition, most (85%) did not walk to and from school, 38% did not have any recess in school, and 35% reported no safe place to exercise. More children with very poorly controlled asthma symptoms, compared with children with more mild symptoms, reported limitation in gym class (58% vs 43%, P = .01) and even in mild activities (28% vs 14%, P = .004). Children with activity limitation were at significantly greater odds of being overweight or obese (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-3.8). CONCLUSION: Many children with persistent asthma are overweight or obese, have limited opportunity for activity, and experience activity limitations. Efforts are needed to optimize asthma control and provide opportunity for increased physical activity in and outside school. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01650844.

Caregiver education to promote appropriate use of preventive asthma medications: what is happening in primary care?

OBJECTIVE: To describe actions taken by providers at primary care visits to promote daily use of preventive asthma medication, and determine whether patient or encounter variables are associated with the receipt of asthma medication education. METHODS: As part of a larger study in Rochester, NY, caregivers of children (2-12 years old) with asthma were approached before an office visit for well-child, asthma-specific or other illness care from October 2009 to January 2013. Eligibility required persistent symptoms and a prescription for an inhaled asthma controller medication. Caregivers were interviewed within two weeks to discuss the health care encounter. RESULTS: We identified 185 eligible children from six urban primary care offices (27% Black, 38% Hispanic, 65% Medicaid). Overall, 42% of caregivers reported a discussion of appropriate preventive medication use, fewer than 25% received an asthma action plan, and 17% reported "ideal" medication education (both discussing proper medication use and completing an asthma action plan); no differences were seen upon comparing well-child and asthma-specific visits with other visits. Well-child and asthma-specific visits together were more likely, compared with other visits, to include a recommendation for a follow-up visit (43% versus 23%, p = 0.007). No patient factors were associated with report of preventive medication education. CONCLUSIONS: Guideline-recommended education for caregivers about preventive-asthma medication is not occurring in the majority of primary care visits for urban children with symptomatic persistent asthma. Novel methods to deliver asthma education may be needed to promote appropriate preventive medication use and reduce asthma morbidity.

Asthma and overweight/obese: double trouble for urban children.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of overweight/obese versus normal weight on symptoms, activity limitation and health care utilization among a group of urban children with persistent asthma. METHODS: Data were obtained from the School Based Asthma Therapy trial. We enrolled 530 children ages 3-10 with persistent asthma from 2006 to 2009 (response rate: 74%). We conducted in-home interviews to assess symptoms and health care utilization. We measured height and weight in school nurse offices to determine BMI percentile, and compared normal weight children to overweight/obese (BMI >85th percentile) children. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used. RESULTS: We collected BMI data from 472 children (89%); 49% were overweight/obese. When controlling for child race, child ethnicity, intervention group, caregiver age and screen time, overweight/obese children had more days with asthma symptoms (4.25 versus 3.42/2 weeks, p = 0.035) and more activity limitation (3.43 versus 2.55/2 weeks, p = 0.013) compared to normal weight children. Overweight/obese children were more likely to have had an ED visit or hospitalization for any reason (47% versus 36%, OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.01, 2.19), and there was a trend for overweight/obese children to have more acute asthma visits in the past year (1.68 versus 1.31, p = 0.090). Overweight/obese children were not more likely to be taking a daily preventive inhaled corticosteroid (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.68, 1.56). CONCLUSIONS: Overweight/obese children with persistent asthma experience more asthma symptoms, activity limitation and health care utilization compared to normal weight children, with no increased use of inhaled corticosteroids. Further efforts are needed to improve the health of these children.

Asthma medication adherence among urban teens: a qualitative analysis of barriers, facilitators and experiences with school-based care.

OBJECTIVE: Teens with persistent asthma do not always receive daily preventive medications or do not take them as prescribed, despite established clinical guidelines. The purpose of this study was to understand urban teens' experiences with asthma management, preventive medication adherence and participation in a school-based intervention. METHODS: Teens (12-15 years) with persistent asthma, and prescribed preventive medication, participated in a pilot study that included daily observed medication therapy at school and motivational interviewing. Semi-structured interviews occurred at final survey. Qualitative content analysis enabled data coding to identify themes. RESULTS: Themes were classified as "general asthma management" or "program-specific." For general management, routines were important, while hurrying interfered with taking medications. Forgetfulness was most commonly linked to medication nonadherence. Competing demands related to school preparedness and social priorities were barriers to medication use. Independence with medications was associated with several benefits (e.g. avoiding parental nagging and feeling responsible/mature). Program-specific experiences varied. Half of teens reported positive rapport with their school nurse, while a few felt that their nurse was dismissive. Unexpected benefits and barriers within the school structure included perceptions about leaving the classroom, the distance to the nurse's office, the necessity of hall passes and morning school routines. Importantly, many teens connected daily medication use with fewer asthma symptoms, incenting continued adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Teens with asthma benefit from adherence to preventive medications but encounter numerous barriers to proper use. Interventions to improve adherence must accommodate school demands and unique teen priorities. The school nurse's role as an ally may support teens' transition to medication independence.

Discrepancies between medical record data and parent reported use of preventive asthma medications.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether medical record documentation reflects actual home practices regarding the administration of preventive medications to urban children with persistent asthma. METHODS: Baseline data from a prompting asthma intervention were used for this cross-sectional analysis. As part of the larger study, we enrolled children (2-12 years) with persistent asthma in the waiting room at 12 primary care offices (2009-2012). Prior to their visit with a healthcare provider, caregivers reported information regarding their child's asthma symptom severity and current preventive medications (i.e. name and frequency of use). We compared caregiver-reported medication information with medical record data to determine the rate of complete concordance, defined as total consistency between the prescribed medication data documented in the medical record and parent report describing how the child is actually using the medication at home. RESULTS: According to 310 completed medical record reviews, 194 (62%) children had a current prescription for a daily preventive asthma medication. Of these children, 110 (57%) had caregivers who reported complete concordance. Those reporting complete concordance were more likely to have children with greater symptom severity, including fewer symptom-free days in the prior two weeks (6.9 vs. 8.7, p = 0. 018), and ≥1 asthma-related hospitalization in the prior year (16% vs. 6%, p = 0. 042). CONCLUSIONS: Medical records may poorly reflect actual home practices and providers should specifically inquire about medication use and barriers to adherence at the time of an office visit to promote guideline-based, consistent treatment for children with persistent asthma.

Increased ultrafine particles and carbon monoxide concentrations are associated with asthma exacerbation among urban children.

OBJECTIVES: Increased air pollutant concentrations have been linked to several asthma-related outcomes in children, including respiratory symptoms, medication use, and hospital visits. However, few studies have examined effects of ultrafine particles in a pediatric population. Our primary objective was to examine the effects of ambient concentrations of ultrafine particles on asthma exacerbation among urban children and determine whether consistent treatment with inhaled corticosteroids could attenuate these effects. We also explored the relationship between asthma exacerbation and ambient concentrations of accumulation mode particles, fine particles (≤2.5 micrograms [µm]; PM2.5), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. We hypothesized that increased 1-7 day concentrations of ultrafine particles and other pollutants would be associated with increases in the relative odds of an asthma exacerbation, but that this increase in risk would be attenuated among children receiving school-based corticosteroid therapy. METHODS: We conducted a pilot study using data from 3 to 10 year-old children participating in the School-Based Asthma Therapy trial. Using a time-stratified case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression, we estimated the relative odds of a pediatric asthma visit treated with prednisone (n=96 visits among 74 children) associated with increased pollutant concentrations in the previous 7 days. We re-ran these analyses separately for children receiving medications through the school-based intervention and children in a usual care control group. RESULTS: Interquartile range increases in ultrafine particles and carbon monoxide concentrations in the previous 7 days were associated with increases in the relative odds of a pediatric asthma visit, with the largest increases observed for 4-day mean ultrafine particles (interquartile range=2088p/cm(3); OR=1.27; 95% CI=0.90-1.79) and 7-day mean carbon monoxide (interquartile range=0.17ppm; OR=1.63; 95% CI=1.03-2.59). Relative odds estimates were larger among children receiving school-based inhaled corticosteroid treatment. We observed no such associations with accumulation mode particles, black carbon, fine particles (≤2.5µm), or sulfur dioxide. Ozone concentrations were inversely associated with the relative odds of a pediatric asthma visit. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a response to markers of traffic pollution among urban asthmatic children. Effects were strongest among children receiving preventive medications through school, suggesting that this group of children was particularly sensitive to environmental triggers. Medication adherence alone may be insufficient to protect the most vulnerable from environmental asthma triggers. However, further research is necessary to confirm this finding.

Racial disparities at the point of care for urban children with persistent asthma.

Little is known about disparities in preventive asthma care delivery at the time of an office visit. Our objective was to better understand what treatments are delivered at the point of care for urban children with asthma, and whether there are racial disparities. We enrolled 100 Black and 77 White children (2-12 years) with persistent asthma from 6 primary care practices. We evaluated how frequently providers delivered guideline-based asthma actions at the index visit. We also assessed asthma morbidity prior to the index visit and again at 2 month follow-up. Black children had greater symptom severity and were less likely to report having a preventive medication at baseline, but were no more likely to report a preventive medication action at the time of an office visit. Symptoms persisted for Black children at follow-up, suggesting additional preventive actions were needed. Further efforts to promote consistent guideline-based preventive asthma care are critical.