Distance Education Versus Usual Care Qualification in Asthma Care

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of multifaceted educational interventions in the care of asthma, conducted remotely over the platform TelessaúdeRS in teams of the Family Health Strategy and the consequent clinical improvement patients.

Detailed Description
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Cluster-randomized trial with follow-up of 6 months. The aim of this study is to determine whether multifaceted interventions performed at a distance for the care of asthma symptoms reduce overhead, improve asthma control and qualify the care provided to patients.

Official Title
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Distance Education Versus Usual Care in the Qualification of Asthma Care: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial - RESPIRANET

Conditions
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Asthma

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Continuing education
* Other: usual care


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Practice:Participate in the Telessaúde/RS. Minimal staff consisting of a general practitioner, nurse, nurse and community health agents (CHA), ability to give at least ten patients diagnosed with asthma, located in a municipality to make available for free inhaled medication (short-acting bronchodilators and corticosteroids ) for the treatment of asthma and willingness to participate in the study. Patients: 5 to 45 years with a diagnosis of asthma made by a physician and register at least one consultation for asthma or an asthma-related hospitalization during the year preceding the beginning of the study. Exclusion Criteria: Patients with other chronic diseases with pulmonary complications such as tuberculosis, cancer and cystic fibrosis or those with severe mental illness

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 5 Years
Maximum Age: 45 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: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: continuing education<br>RESPIRANET is a multifaceted intervention directed at professionals of the Family Health Teams in the inner cities.Includes telemedicine, reminders, video conferences, educational materials for patients and consultants. | Behavioral: Continuing education<br>* Includes telemedicine, reminders, video conferences, educational materials for patients and consultants.<br>* Other names: RESPIRANET;|
| Placebo Comparator: Usual Care<br>usual care | Other: usual care<br>* Received the usual care provided<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Symptom burden, measured as the number of self-reported asthma symptom days (ASD). ASD is based on 2 week recall. | The definition of a symptom day includes presence of any of the four types of asthma symptoms: wheeze, cough, night time awakening ou shortness of breath. The results will be collected through the application of standardized questionnaires. | six months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Asthma control | Control of asthma will be evaluated by the excessive use of relief medication in the last month. | 6 months | 
| Health care utilization | Proportion of unscheduled medical visits during the follow-up | 6 meses | 
| Proportion of patients in use inhaled corticosteroids | Use of inhaled corticosteroids assessed by the proportion of patients who require medication to prevent asthma symptoms that are in use of inhaled corticosteroids. | 6 meses | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Asthma, Continuing education, Primary health care