Does asthma education change behavior? To know is not to do

Implementation of an internet-based asthma patient education program in primary care: results of a single-arm trial

Asthma education programs (AEPs) for patients are known to be important to provide skills to effectively manage the disease. We developed an electronic AEP (eAEP) and assessed the extent to which patients with asthma in primary care are capable to use the eAEP and whether asthma knowledge improved after eAEP.

A single-arm pilot study was performed between November 2019 and December 2020 in 12 general practices in Upper Bavaria, Germany. Asthma knowledge was assessed by the Asthma Knowledge Test (AKT) at baseline, 2 weeks after completion of the eAEP, as well as after 3 and 6 months. AKT sum scores at baseline and follow-up were compared with each other using the Wilcoxon test.

In total, 72 patients with asthma were included, of whom all participated in the 2-week follow-up, while data on the 3- and 6-month follow-up was available in 62 and 51 patients, respectively. The eAEP was well accepted and positively evaluated by participants. The mean AKT score significantly (p < .001) increased from 22.8 ± 11.0 at baseline to 44.6 ± 8.3 two weeks after completion of the eAEP. After 3 months, the mean score was still 41.8 ± 7.6, and after 6 months it was 40.2 ± 9.3 (p < .001 each compared to baseline).

The internet-based asthma education program was well accepted by primary care patients and resulted in a major increase of asthma knowledge. Thus, it has the potential to be an important adjunct in the treatment of patients with asthma in general practice.

Examining household asthma management behavior through a microeconomic framework

National guidelines on the effective management of pediatric asthma have been promoted for over 20 years, yet asthma-related morbidity among low-income children remains disproportionately high. To date, household and clinical interventions designed to remediate these differences have been informed largely by a health behavior framework. However, these programs have not resulted in consistent sustained improvements in targeted populations. The continued funding and implementation of programs based on the health behavior framework leads us to question if traditional behavioral models are sufficient to understand and promote adaptation of positive health management behaviors. We introduce the application of the microeconomic framework to investigate potential mechanisms that can lead to positive management behaviors to improve asthma-related morbidity. We provide examples from the literature on health production, preferences, trade-offs and time horizons to illustrate how economic constructs can potentially add to understanding of disease management. The economic framework, which can be empirically observed, tested, and quantified, can explicate the engagement in household-level activities that would affect health and well-being. The inclusion of a microeconomic perspective in intervention research may lead to identification of mechanisms that lead to household decisions with regard to asthma management strategies and behavior. The inclusion of the microeconomic framework to understand the production of health may provide a novel theoretical framework to investigate the underlying causal behavioral mechanisms related to asthma management and control. Adaptation of an economic perspective may provide new insight into the design and implementation of interventions to improve asthma-related morbidity in susceptible populations.

High-Quality Asthma Care: It's Not Just About Drugs

ASTHMA CARE IS BASED ON THREE SIMPLE, BASIC CONCEPTS: reduce triggers, use controller medicine, and take early action in flare-ups. Implementing these concepts is difficult, however, and nonadherence is common. The patient, family, and health care system tend to focus their attention on crisis care instead of on control, and long-standing behaviors are hard to change. Adherence to asthma control regimens can be improved if clinicians and their patients focus more attention on communication skills, mutual problem solving, and follow-up. Use of a stages-of-change model also can be valuable for facilitating important behavioral change.

Health literacy, language, and ethnicity-related factors in newcomer asthma patients to Canada: a qualitative study

The objectives of this study were to investigate how asthma patients from new immigrant groups are being informed and educated about asthma and its management, and to identify barriers to knowledge transfer. Four focus groups (n = 29) from Latino, Chinese, Iranian and Punjabi cultural communities were conducted with asthmatic patients in the Greater Vancouver Area. Our results from the focus group discussions can be summarized in four broad areas (a) perceptions of and ways of coping with asthma, (b) perceptions of whether the healthcare system is culturally competent, (c) perceptions of language barriers in regards to accessing the healthcare system, and (d) perceptions of how to access reliable asthma information. The results of this study highlight the importance of diverse cultural beliefs and practices as factors that should be taken into consideration when tailoring interventions to improve asthma outcomes in vulnerable populations, including patients from ethno-cultural communities.

Patient-centered education: applying learner-centered concepts to asthma education

OBJECTIVE

To review studies of patient-centered asthma education.

METHOD

CINAHL, Medline, Psycinfo, Eric, PsycARTICLES, and web of science databases were searched. RESULTS Asthma education programs are often based on health behavior theories. Many studies lack rigor in the assessment of the program's efficacy and effectiveness. Asthma education that promotes self-management primarily uses a problem-based approach. Few studies have examined the way educators teach and patients learn. Patient-centered approaches to education have mainly focused on communication between the patient and the health professional. Decision making as part of shared responsibility may vary with every patient. Patient-centered care shares similarities with the Self-Determination Theory as a learner-centered approach to education.

CONCLUSIONS

Many asthma education studies have been completed with varying levels of efficacy and effectiveness reported. Most programs focus on changing behavior with few studies examining educator behavior and/or the patient's learning styles. With a patient-centered approach being the preferred model of care, the incorporation of learner-centered approaches to patient education may prove useful in the future.

Women and asthma: lessons from a gender analysis of the asthma in Canada survey

OBJECTIVE

To compare the degree of asthma control achieved by men and women with asthma in Canada and to explore differences in patient perspectives, treatments used, and health care resources used between men and women with asthma.

DESIGN

Population-based cross-sectional telephone interview survey of Canadians with doctor-diagnosed asthma.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Random digit dialing was used to identify a representative sample of Canadians with asthma. A total of 801 adults were interviewed over the telephone. Analysis was performed on the data from a subgroup of 20- to 50-year-old patients with asthma who participated in the original survey (329 women and 183 men).

RESULTS

Women and men were equally likely to be poorly controlled (58% vs. 56%, p > 0.05) as defined by failing to meet two or more of six symptom-based criteria listed by the 1996 Canadian Asthma Consensus (CAC) Guidelines as appropriate treatment targets. However, there were significant differences in medication used; women were more likely than men to use an inhaled corticosteroid in the treatment of their asthma (59% vs. 45%, p < 0.05) and were more knowledgeable about their appropriate use (62% vs. 46%, p < 0.05), and were more likely to be satisfied with their physicians' care. Despite this, women were more likely than men to have required urgent care for their asthma in the year preceding the survey (50% vs. 36%, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Women report greater need for urgent asthma care despite more frequent use of inhaled corticosteroids and better asthma knowledge scores than men.

School-age children with asthma and their parents: relationships with health care providers

Health care providers, including nurses, physicians, and other personnel, are key figures who design and implement plans of care to help families manage childhood asthma, yet families' perceptions of relationships with these professionals has received limited study. Child and parent perspectives about relationships with their health care providers emerged as themes in a study that explored responsibility sharing between school-age children with asthma and their parents (Buford, 2004). Fourteen school-age children with asthma and 14 of their parents from 11 families participated in the study. Parents and, to a lesser extent, children, described aspects of their relationships with their health care providers that were supports or barriers to asthma management. Implications for nurses and other health care providers stem from these data and include the importance for health care providers to educate themselves and their patients about state-of-the-art asthma care. Education should be directed to both parents and their children. In addition, parents need to receive education about how to coach their children because the children depend on them for information and direction. Finally, nurses and other health care providers need to listen to parents and value their input about their children's conditions.

The veterans' study to improve the control of hypertension (V-STITCH): design and methodology

BACKGROUND

Among the 60 million Americans with hypertension, only approximately 31% have their blood pressure (BP) under control (<140/90 mm Hg). Despite the damaging impact of hypertension and the availability of evidence-based target values for BP, interventions to improve BP control have had limited success.

OBJECTIVES

A randomized controlled health services intervention trial with a split-plot design is being conducted to improve BP control. This 4-year trial evaluates both a patient and a provider intervention in a primary care setting among diagnosed hypertensive veterans.

METHODS

In a cluster-randomization, 30 primary care providers in the Durham VAMC Primary Care Clinic were randomly assigned to receive the provider intervention or control. The provider intervention is a patient-specific electronically generated hypertension decision support system (DSS) delivering guideline-based recommendations to the provider at each patient's visit, designed to improve guideline-concordant therapy. For these providers, a sample of their hypertensive patients (n=588) was randomly assigned to receive a telephone-administered patient intervention or usual care. The patient intervention incorporates patients' need assessments and involves tailored behavioral and education modules to promote medication adherence and improve specific health behaviors. All modules are delivered over the telephone bi-monthly for 24 months. In this trial, the primary outcome is the proportion of patients who achieve a BP < or =140/90 mm Hg at each outpatient clinic visit over 24 months.

CONCLUSION

Despite the known risk of poor BP control, a majority of adults still do not have their BP controlled. This study is an important step in testing the effectiveness of a patient and provider intervention to improve BP control among veterans in the primary care setting.

General principals of management: education

Asthma education is an essential part of the treatment of this disease. Health care professionals must establish a partnership with the patient with asthma and the patient's family to devise a plan of care with which the patient voluntarily will comply. The partnership with the patient begins at the first encounter and continues throughout the therapeutic relationship. Each member of the health care team can be instrumental in reinforcing the crucial information the patient must know to be an informed participant in his or her care. Nursing professionals are in a particularly advantageous position to foster this partnership because of their patient-focused outlook and the quality of time spent with patients. When the partnership is based on mutual trust and cooperation, the clinician can direct asthma care that is consistent with current expert guidelines. Educational interventions should be meaningful to the patient, learner centered to incorporate the patient's needs, and sensitive to the patient's cultural influences. The patient and his or her significant social and family support should be actively involved. The clinician should be alert to the patient's readiness to learn and tailor the message to suit the setting in which it is delivered. The patient should receive information that allows his or her participation in goal setting for treatment. Essentials to be included are the significance of the diagnosis, basics about inflammation as the primary cause of symptoms, the difference between controllers and relievers, how to use the medications and monitoring devices, how to reach the provider, and the need for continuous ongoing interaction with the clinician. Goals set in the partnership are objectified in the asthma action plan or guided self-management plan. The success of the treatment can be assessed from the patient's improved asthma control and reduced reliance on emergency treatment. Every health care provider is a potential wealth of patient education. Every patient encounter is an opportunity to reinforce knowledge and proficiency in asthma management. Nursing professionals can play a fundamental and crucial role in asthma education by maintaining the focus of the medical treatment on the priorities in asthma care--the learning needs and goals of the patient.

Nasal obstruction and sleep-disordered breathing: the effect of supine body position on nasal measurements in snorers

OBJECTIVE

Nasal obstruction is considered to be a potential etiological factor in sleep-disordered breathing. However, a significant correlation between nasal measurements and obstructive sleep apnea has not been demonstrated so far. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between nasal resistance, nasal volumes and selected sleep parameters using nasal measurements performed in both seated and supine positions. We also investigated whether snoring patients in our clinical sample showed increased positional or decongestive nasal mucosal changes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Forty-one snoring men on a waiting list for correction of nasal obstruction underwent polysomnography, anterior rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry. Nineteen non-snoring control subjects were also recruited. Nasal measurements were performed in a seated position, after lying down in a supine position and, after decongestion of nasal mucosa, in a seated position again.

RESULTS

In the overall patient group, nasal volume at a distance 2-4 cm from the nares in the supine position correlated inversely with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) (r = -0.32, p < 0.05) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) (r = -0.49, p < 0.05). In the non-obese patients, total nasal resistance measured in a supine position correlated with AHI (r = 0.50, p < 0.05) and ODI (r = 0.58, p < 0.05) and supine nasal volumes were also inversely correlated with ODI. No significant correlations were found between baseline nasal measurements performed in a seated position and sleep parameters. Postural or decongestive changes in nasal measurements were not increased in snoring patients compared with control subjects.

CONCLUSION

The relationship found between nasal measurements and sleep parameters suggests that nasal obstruction does augment airway collapse.

Misunderstanding of asthma controller medications: association with nonadherence

OBJECTIVE

Nonadherence to regular inhaled anti-inflammatory medication use is a frequent contributor to poor control of persistent asthma and may result from misunderstanding of the preventive role of such medications. This study's aims are to 1) test the hypothesis that misunderstanding is associated with decreased adherence to its daily use and 2) identify factors associated with increased risk of misunderstanding.

STUDY DESIGN

A sample of parents of children with asthma insured by Medicaid and enrolled in managed care programs in Northern California, Washington, and Massachusetts were interviewed by telephone. This analysis focused on the subset that reported having an inhaled anti-inflammatory medication and whose medication use and symptom frequency in the 2 weeks before the interview suggested persistent asthma. Misunderstanding of the role of inhaled anti-inflammatory medication was defined as identifying it as being for treatment of symptoms after they begin and not for prevention of symptoms before they start.

RESULTS

A total of 1663 parents of children with asthma (63% response rate) were interviewed. Of those, 571 subjects (34%) reported use of an inhaled anti-inflammatory medication and met our criteria for persistent asthma. Among those with persistent asthma, 23% (131 parents) misunderstood the role of their child's inhaled anti-inflammatory. Misunderstanding of inhaled anti-inflammatory medication was associated with decreased adherence to its daily use (odds ratio [OR] 0.18, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.29). The risk for misunderstanding was lower if the patient had seen a specialist (OR 0.42, 95% CI, 0.24-0.75) or had graduated high school (OR=0.54, 95% CI, 0.34-0.84).

CONCLUSION

Misunderstanding of the role of inhaled anti-inflammatory medication is associated with reduced adherence to its daily use.

Serving the underserved: school-based asthma intervention programs

Asthma is a common and costly disease, which disproportionately affects young, ethnic minority, and impoverished individuals. A heightened public awareness has catalyzed a variety of efforts to reduce the impact of childhood asthma in the United States. Despite these efforts, however, at-risk groups continue to suffer excess morbidity. Strategies are required that can specifically address the needs of underserved communities. We review the underlying rationale and progress of school-based programs designed to assist asthmatic children.

Increasing asthma knowledge and changing home environments for Latino families with asthmatic children

We tested an asthma education program in 204 underserved Latino families with an asthmatic child. The education program consisted of one or two sessions delivered in each family's home in the targeted participant's preferred language by a bilingual, bicultural educator. We encouraged, but did not require, attendance by the child. The curriculum was culturally-tailored, and all participants received education on understanding asthma, preventing asthma attacks, and managing asthma. Outcomes included change in asthma knowledge and change in home environment asthma management procedures. Asthma knowledge increased significantly (39 to 50% correct from pre- to post-test, P < 0.001) and participants made significant changes to the child's bedroom environment (mean number of triggers decreased from 2.4 to 1.8, P < 0.001; mean number of controllers increased from 0.7 to 0.9, P < 0.001). The results support the value of asthma education and its importance in the national agenda to reduce health disparities among minorities.

Compliance of adolescents with diabetes

The purpose of this article is to describe the compliance of adolescents with diabetes and some factors connected to it. Altogether, 300 individuals aged 13 to 17 years were randomly selected from the Finnish Social Insurance Institution's register. Every fifth person on the list was included in the sample. Ninety-seven percent (N = 289) of the adolescents with diabetes returned the questionnaire. The data were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Only about one fifth (19%) of the respondents with diabetes felt that they complied fully with the health regimens, whereas 75% placed themselves in the category of satisfactory compliance and the remaining 6% reported poor compliance. Compliance with home monitoring was poorest: Only 25% said they fully complied with the home monitoring instructions, and 51% showed poor home monitoring compliance. The highest degree of compliance was reported for insulin treatment, with 81% of the patients ranking in the top category. Some statistically significant (p < .001) relationships between the degree of compliance and the background variables, such as the duration of disease; exercise; smoking; alcohol intake; and serum glycosylated hemoglobin (GHbA1c) value, were found. Good motivation, a strong sense of normality, energy and willpower, support from parents; physicians; and nurses, a positive attitude toward the disease and its treatment, no threat to one's social well-being, and fears of complications explained good compliance (p < .001).

Involuntary smoking and asthma

Involuntary smoking is the third leading preventable cause of death, and among children it causes lower respiratory infections, middle ear disease, sudden infant death syndrome, and asthma. Half the world's children may be exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), exacerbating symptoms in 20% of children with asthma. Recent studies have reinforced previous conclusions that ETS exposure causes onset of childhood asthma and exacerbation of symptoms throughout life. The exact mechanisms by which this is accomplished are still unclear, as are the relative contributions of prenatal versus postnatal exposure. However, favorable health outcomes can be attained with reduced exposure. Among the few studies of ETS exposure reduction interventions, low-intensity advice methods appeared ineffective, and counseling parent smokers appeared successful. Direct counseling of school-aged children to avoid ETS has yet to be tested. Community norms may need to shift further in favor of protecting children and others from ETS before minimal interventions can be successful. This will require combined and ongoing efforts of the medical and public health establishments, in concert with legislation mandating tobacco-free public places and with ETS-related media campaigns.

Moving towards health oriented patient education (HOPE)

The economics of prevention supports reimbursement of nurse practitioners for patient education. The role has undergone historical change, shifting from imparting disease-oriented health education (DOPE) toward empowering patients to use their own resources to the fullest to attain health. Nurse practitioners are well suited to provide care that facilitates behavior change and health-oriented patient education (HOPE). Essentials for effective patient education include use of an open communication style, written instructions, and the address of barriers. Adult literacy and reader-friendliness must be considered when assembling written materials.

Exploring lay definitions of asthma and interpersonal barriers to care in a predominantly Puerto Rican, inner-city community

Lay definitions of asthma were elicited through a single open-ended question from a population-based sample of mostly Puerto Rican, inner-city residents in Buffalo, New York. One hundred fifty-five household responses to the question, "What do you think asthma is?" were analyzed qualitatively using the editing approach. Five common codes emerged in order of significance: "symptoms," "disease," "triggers," "threat," and "coping." Overall, expressions of illness reflected a largely symptomatic perception of asthma regardless of asthma status. Perceptions of "disease" increased with higher level of education. Patients' definitions of illness should be considered to help reduce interpersonal barriers to asthma care.

Inadequate literacy is a barrier to asthma knowledge and self-care

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To determine the relationship of literacy to asthma knowledge and ability to use a metered-dose inhaler (MDI) among patients with asthma.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Emergency department and asthma clinic at an urban public hospital.

PATIENTS

Convenience sample of 273 patients presenting to the emergency department for an asthma exacerbation and 210 patients presenting to a specialized asthma clinic for routine care.

INTERVENTIONS

Measurement of literacy with the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, asthma knowledge (20 question oral test), and demonstration of MDI technique (six-item assessment).

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

Only 27% of patients read at the high-school level, although two thirds reported being high-school graduates; 33% read at the seventh- to eighth-grade level, 27% at the fourth- to sixth-grade level, and 13% at or below the third-grade level. Mean asthma knowledge scores (+/-SD) were directly related to reading levels: 15.1+/-2.5, 13.9+/-2.5, 13.4+/-2.8, 11.9+/-2.5, respectively (p < 0.01). Patient reading level was the strongest predictor of asthma knowledge score in multivariate analysis. Poor MDI technique (< or =3 correct steps) was found in 89% of patients reading at less than the third-grade level compared with 48% of patients reading at the high-school level. In multivariate regression analyses, reading level was the strongest predictor of MDI technique.

CONCLUSIONS

Inadequate literacy was common and strongly correlated with poorer knowledge of asthma and improper MDI use.

Asthma education programme in Russia: educating patients

To address the recent rise in asthma morbidity and mortality in Russia, an intervention study was conducted to improve asthma diagnosis, treatment and prevention. US recommendations for asthma management were adapted for use in educating Moscow families with children with asthma. Two hundred and fifty-two children with asthma aged 4-14 years receiving health care in eight Moscow public health clinics together with their parents were enrolled in the study to see whether US teaching manuals for asthma management would be acceptable and effective in Russia. Children at four of the clinics with recent asthma attacks were randomly assigned to either the education or control group to test if patient education and guided asthma care would improve outcomes for patients. Modern medications were made available to both groups to see if training in the US guidelines was necessary to get physicians to use the medications. Children with recent asthma attacks at the other four clinics were defined as comparison group 1 to control for the possible effect of medication availability. All children at the eight clinics who had no asthma attacks composed comparison group 2 to see if the outcomes for these children would change over time. One-year follow-up results showed significant improvement in asthma self-management skills of children and parents, in terms of asthma treatment, only among those in the education group. Significant increases were observed in the subgroup of children in the education group using anti-inflammatory drugs for asthma control. Children in the education group had markedly increased peak flow rates and reduced daily peak flow variability as compared to control and comparison groups. There was a significantly greater reduction in doctor visits by the education group of children compared to control. Presumably, changes in parents' and children's behaviour in terms of asthma treatment and prevention skills, proper treatment of the disease and access to medications could be responsible for reducing asthma morbidity in children.