Improving pediatric asthma patient outcomes by incorporation of effective interventions

Asthma affects approximately 5 million children in the United States. This disease results in billions of dollars of expenditures for hospitalizations , emergency admissions, medications, equipment, and indirect costs such as lost work productivity. This article describes how children with asthma rec eived in-depth evaluations and education, long-term control medications, an d AirWatch (TM) monitoring to improve treatment adherence, asthma control, and asthma severity. Study patients (n = 99) received patient care and educ ation according to the protocols of the Pediatric Asthma Clinic, Lovelace H ealth Systems (Albuquerque, NM). All enrolled patients were prescribed flut icasone propionate and salmeterol xinafoate based on asthma severity and th e National Institutes of Health guidelines. In addition, each patient used the AirWatch electronic airway monitoring system. Patients (n = 80) who par ticipated in the study for 6 months demonstrated overall improved adherence to prescribed medications and better control of asthma. Adherence to the A irWatch system decreased over time, most likely due to improvements in the way the patients felt. In conclusion, treatment adherence, asthma control, and asthma severity can be improved with comprehensive patient education, l ong-term control medications, and objective home pulmonary function monitor ing.