Improving Asthma Referrals Following Emergency Department Evaluation

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Asthma is the most common chronic condition among children and many children seek emergency department (ED) care. A key aspect of ED asthma management at the time of discharge is appropriate outpatient referral. Part of the challenge for ED providers is determining which patients require intensive outpatient support as ED providers often do not have the time or familiarity with the asthma guidelines to appropriately stratify asthma severity. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine whether the proportion of children referred to outpatient asthma care can be improved by incorporating a previously validated tool [the Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument for the Emergency Department (PACCI- ED)] into ED clinical care.

Detailed Description
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Emergency department (ED) physicians play an important role in the management of pediatric asthma through acute intervention, family education, and appropriate referral to outpatient resources. However, time constraints in the ED limit physicians' ability to appropriately stratify both asthma severity and outpatient referrals. The Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument for the Emergency Department (PACCI-ED) improves ED providers assessment of asthma control and disease burden. We hypothesize that implementation of the PACCI-ED at the point of care may help to facilitate appropriate referrals to outpatient asthma care. ED providers will be randomized to the control or intervention group. Providers in the intervention group will receive the results of the parent-completed PACCI-ED accompanied by a one page summary of referral recommendations aligned with asthma guidelines and based upon asthma severity. Providers in the control group will not receive this information and will provide 'usual care'. All providers will complete a brief demographic questionnaire. School-aged children with a history of asthma presenting to the ED for an asthma exacerbation and discharged home who consent to participate will be assigned to the control or the intervention group based upon the ED provider caring for the patient during their ED encounter. Parents will complete a brief demographic questionnaire, the PACCI-ED, and answer two short qualitative audio-recorded questions about barriers to asthma care during their ED visit. Following the ED visit, additional data will be abstracted from the electronic medical record including outpatient referrals placed at the time of ED discharge and follow-up with the referrals within a one-month time-frame.

Official Title
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Improving Asthma Referrals Following Emergency Department Evaluation

Conditions
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Asthma in Children

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: View PACCI-ED and referral recommendations


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Presenting to Children's Hospital of Michigan (CHM), Detroit, Emergency Department (ED) for an acute asthma exacerbation History of asthma as reported by parents Exclusion Criteria: Transfer from outside ED for a higher level of care Admitted to the hospital following pediatric ED evaluation Significant co-morbidity (pulmonary, cardiac, or other systemic disease) Hemodynamic instability Non-English speaking Previously enrolled in this study Patients without their primary caregiver at ED presentation Not under the care of CHM ED provider who has consented to be a part of the study

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 5 Years
Maximum Age: 11 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: Intervention Group<br>ED Providers randomized to the Intervention Group will be able to view the results of the parent-completed questionnaire, the Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument for the Emergency Department (PACCI-ED), and outpatient referral recommendations aligned with asthma severity. | Other: View PACCI-ED and referral recommendations<br>* Results of parent completed PACCI-ED and referral recommendations<br>|
| No Intervention: Control Group<br>ED providers randomized to the Control Group will neither receive the results of the parent-completed PACCI-ED or specific recommendations for outpatient referrals. Patients randomized to the control group will receive usual care. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Proportion of referrals | Proportion of referrals for outpatient asthma care placed in the electronic medical record. | Eight months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Proportion of subspecialty referrals | Proportion of subspecialty referrals for outpatient asthma care (e.g. allergy/immunology, pulmonology) placed in the electronic medical record. | Eight months | 
| Patient and provider characteristics | Patient (e.g. age, asthma history) and provider (e.g. training, years in practice) self-reported demographics. | Eight months | 
| Completed outpatient clinic visits following a referral | Number of patients attending the outpatient clinic visit within 30 days of the referral requested in the electronic medical record at the time of the ED visit. | 30 days following the ED visit | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Asthma, Emergency Department, Children, Referral, Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument for the Emergency Department, PACCI-ED