We will identify particular problems for each family and customize our advice. That is a strength of this project. The other component of the study is to develop and recommend medical approaches to managing asthma symptoms for each family. This will involve health care providers in the surrounding areas to help create or maintain a partnership between the doctors and the families. Making these connections in rural areas can be a problem, Chrischilles said.
Many rural residents have to travel long distances to see physicians.
So we want to boost the resources families have on hand between the times that they see their doctors. We hope that what we develop here in this study can eventually be used by other rural communities with similar problems. If the study is shown to be effective in the selected communities, Harris sees the ability to transfer what is being done to other communities. Then other areas will have the chance to access our information. We do hope to be a good example of how intervention helps families and their respiratory health care.