Improving Asthma Outcomes Through Spirometry Distance Learning
Condition: Asthma
MeSH terms: Asthma
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Spirometry is a recommended component of asthma diagnosis and treatment in the primary care
      setting, yet few providers report its routine use for children with asthma. Misclassification
      of asthma severity occurs when assessment is based on symptoms alone. This misclassification
      can lead to inadequate treatment, increased morbidity, and increased healthcare
      utilization/cost.

      The goal of this study is to test the effectiveness of a distance learning quality
      improvement program called Spirometry 360 developed by the interactive Medical Training
      Resources (iMTR) group at the University of Washington Child Health Institute. The Spirometry
      360 program aims to improve care for children with asthma by enhancing provider knowledge and
      self-efficacy related to the use and interpretation of office-based spirometry.
    

Detailed description: 
      The Spirometry 360 program includes:

        1. "Spirometry Fundamentals™: A basic guide to lung function testing," a computer-based
           training program that teaches primary care providers how to coach patients to produce
           high-quality spirometry tests and accurately interpret spirometric data;

        2. Spirometry Learning Lab: Case-based teaching of spirometry in practice guides test
           administrators and interpreters through clinical examples in an interactive virtual
           classroom setting. These sessions are led by expert clinical faculty and are archived
           for future reference and review;

        3. Spirometry Feedback: Tailored analysis of providers' spirometry testing sessions offers
           monthly individualized feedback reports by clinical experts on spirometry tests
           performed in the clinic.

      This is a cluster randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of the Spirometry 360
      program. The Spirometry 360 program will be provided to 25 primary care pediatric practices
      from two practice-based research networks. A separate group of 25 matched control practices
      recruited from these same networks will receive standard training from the equipment vendor
      during the study and the Spirometry 360 training program at the end of the study.
    

Intervention name(s): Spirometry 360 program - Virtually-delivered spirometry quality improvement program
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The Spirometry 360 program includes:
"Spirometry Fundamentals™: A basic guide to lung function testing," a computer-based training program that teaches primary care providers how to coach patients to produce high-quality spirometry tests and accurately interpret spirometric data;
Spirometry Learning Lab: Case-based teaching of spirometry in practice guides test administrators and interpreters through clinical examples in an interactive virtual classroom setting. These sessions are led by expert clinical faculty and are archived for future reference and review;
Spirometry Feedback: Tailored analysis of providers' spirometry testing sessions offers monthly individualized feedback reports by clinical experts on spirometry tests performed in the clinic.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Health Services Research
Keywords: Asthma; Spirometry; Pediatric; Primary Health Care; Education, Distance