Trends in Asthma-Related School Health Policies and Practices in the US States

Updates in school-based asthma management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

School-based asthma management is an important component of pediatric asthma care that has the potential to provide more universal evidence-based asthma care to children and mitigate asthma-related health inequities. The purpose of this review is to highlight relevant developments in school-based asthma management over the past 2 years.

RECENT FINDINGS

There have been considerable recent scientific advances in school-based asthma management including robust clinical trials of environmental interventions in the classroom setting, school-nurse led interventions, stock albuterol policy changes, school-based telemedicine approaches and innovative methods to engage community stakeholders in research that have pushed the frontiers of school-based asthma care.

SUMMARY

Recent scientific work in school-based asthma management demonstrates the potential power of schools in providing access to guideline-based asthma care for all children with asthma and in improving their health outcomes. Future work should focus on the evaluation of methods to promote the adoption of school-based asthma management strategies in real-world practice and support evidence-based policy change and strategic partnerships to improve asthma health outcomes and produce meaningful public health impact for diverse children and families.

Racial Inequities in Asthma Care

Racial inequities in asthma care are evolving as a recognized factor in long-standing inequities in asthma outcomes (e.g., hospitalization and mortality). Little research has been conducted regarding the presence or absence of racial inequities among patients seen in asthma specialist settings, this is an important area of future research given that asthma specialist care is recommended for patients experiencing the poor asthma outcomes disproportionately experienced by Black and Hispanic patients. This study provides a systematic review of racial asthma care inequities in asthma epidemiology, clinical assessment, medication prescription, and asthma specialist referral practices.

Lung Function Tests, Quality of Life and Telemedicine: Three Windows on the Multifaceted World of Asthma in Adolescents

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease usually characterized by chronic airway inflammation and recognized as the most prevalent chronic illness among children. Despite this, the knowledge as to how asthma affects adolescents is still scarce. One of the main management problems of asthmatic adolescents is the poor adherence to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. The assessment of respiratory function and the impact on quality of life are still two crucial challenges in the management of asthmatic adolescents. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted physicians to explore complementary management strategies including telemedicine technologies. This review aims to provide an update on the contribution of respiratory functional tests, how asthma affects quality of life of adolescents and, finally, how telemedicine contributes to the management of adolescent asthmatics during the COVID-19 pandemic.