Effect of Home Health Case Management on Asthma Morbidity

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The objective of our program is to evaluate the effect of home health nurse intervention and education on hospital admissions, ER utilization and asthma control of Passport asthma patients. The investigators hypothesize that case management and in home education by nurses will decrease hospitalizations and ER asthma visits and improves disease control in our population. Our clinic population consists of primarily inner-city, low income, medicaid recipients. This population suffers from severe asthma much more than the typical pediatric population. Asthma remains the most frequent cause of hospital admission for our patient population. Home health nurse asthma education and home visits have been reported to reduce asthma triggers in the home and improve asthma control. The unique partnership between the pediatrician and the home health nurse will give us a better understanding of the health needs for this population, will improve quality of care and deliver more cost effective care.

Detailed Description
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Asthma patients age 3-17 enrolled in our clinic who have been seen in the ER, hospital or clinic for an asthma exacerbation will be invited to participate. Once enrolled they will have a home health nurse visit their home and provide medical assessment, asthma education and determine if the patients has all needed medications available. They enrolled patient will receive another home visit at 1, 4, and 12 months after enrollment. The medical record will be reviewed and ER visits and hospitalizations recorded.

Official Title
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Effect of Home Health Nurse Case Management on Asthma Morbidity

Conditions
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Asthma, Childhood Asthma

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: education


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Children age 3-17 years with asthma who attend our clinic who present with an asthma exacerbation to the clinic, ER or hospital. Exclusion Criteria: Patients with airway anomalies or tracheostomy

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 3 Years
Maximum Age: 17 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: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: asthma education and case management<br>asthma education and case management | Behavioral: education<br>* home asthma case management and education<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Decreased asthma hospitalization rates | patients will be followed for 1 year | 1 year | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Asthma, Home Health Nursing, Patient education