Peak flow monitoring for guided self-management in childhood asthma: a randomized controlled trial

Longitudinal study on peak expiratory flow monitoring and its impact on quality of life in childhood asthma

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of peak expiratory flow (PEF) monitoring using a smart peak flow (SPF) device on the quality of life (QoL) and satisfaction among children with asthma.

METHODS

This 3-month prospective cohort study enrolled 71 children aged 7 to 17 years with physician-diagnosed asthma. Participants used the SPF device twice daily, with measurements recorded automatically. Quality of life was assessed using the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ), and asthma control was assessed using the Asthma Control Test (ACT) or Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT). Adherence to PEF measurements and satisfaction with the device were evaluated.

RESULTS

Seventy-one children (mean age 11.4 years) completed the study. Adherence to twice-daily PEF measurements decreased significantly over three months (from 50.0% at 1 month to 39.9% at 3 months, p < 0.001). Children with good adherence (38.0%) showed significant improvements in PAQLQ scores, while those with poor adherence (62.0%) did not. COVID-19 infection resulted in a significant decrease in %PEF rate and increased peak flow variability. Despite device-related issues, overall satisfaction was high (85.19% for good adherence users vs. 88.64% for poor adherence users, p = 0.671).

CONCLUSION

Regular PEF monitoring improves QoL in children with asthma by enabling early detection of symptom changes and better management. However, maintaining adherence to regular PEF monitoring is challenging. Further research with control groups is needed to validate these findings.

The relationship between changes in peak expiratory flow and asthma exacerbations in asthmatic children

BACKGROUND

Asthma is one of the most common chronic airway diseases in children. Preventing asthma exacerbation is one of the objectives of all asthma action plans. In patients with poor perception, it is difficult to identify acute asthma exacerbations by clinical asthma score, asthma control test or asthma control questionnaire. The aim of this study is to analyze whether children with asthma have changes in peak expiratory flow(PEF)before an acute asthma exacerbation and to evaluate the relationship between PEF and asthma exacerbation.

METHODS

Basic information (including sex, age, atopy, etc.) and clinical information of asthmatic children who registered in the Electronic China Children's Asthma Action Plan (e-CCAAP) from 1 September 2017 to 31 August 2021 were collected. Subjects with 14 consecutive days of PEF measurements were eligible. Subjects in this study were divided into an exacerbation group and a control group. We analyzed the relationship between changes in PEF% pred and the presence of asthma symptoms.

RESULT

A total of 194 children with asthma who met the inclusion criteria were included, including 144 males (74.2%) and 50 females (25.8%), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.88:1. The mean age of the subjects was 9.51 ± 2.5 years. There were no significant differences in sex, age, allergy history or baseline PEF between the two groups. In children with and without a history of allergy, there was no significant difference between the variation in PEF at 14 days. Patients who only had a reduced in PEF but no symptoms of asthma exacerbation had the greatest reduction in PEF compared to the other groups. The most common cause of acute exacerbations of asthma is upper respiratory tract infection. Among the causes of acute exacerbations of asthma, the variation in PEF caused by air pollution was significantly higher than that of other causes (P < 0.05). In acute exacerbations, the decrease in PEF was significantly greater in the exacerbation group than in the control group. In children with asthma symptoms, there was a decrease in PEF approximately 1.34 days before the onset of symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Children with asthma show a decrease in PEF 1.34 days before the onset of asthma symptoms. We recommend that asthmatic children who show a decrease in PEF should step-up asthma therapy. The most common cause of acute exacerbations of asthma was upper respiratory tract infections, and the variation in PEF caused by air pollution was significantly higher than that caused by other factors.

Routine FEV1 measurement is essential in diagnosis and monitoring of childhood asthma: myth or maxim?

Childhood asthma is a common condition in children. This review describes the evidence from seven asthma guidelines for using spirometry in the diagnosis and monitoring of childhood asthma. All guidelines recommend spirometry as the primary test to be performed for diagnosing asthma in children aged >5 years. Spirometry is often normal in children with asthma. Guidelines are not consistent with respect to whether forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) or FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) should be measured, or their threshold for "abnormal" spirometry, and we describe the sensitivity and specificity for these different cut-offs. The role of spirometry in monitoring asthma is less clear in the guidelines, and some do not suggest spirometry should be done. There is no consensus on what spirometric measurement should be used, how often it should be measured and what is a minimum clinically important change in spirometry. The role of spirometry in diagnosing asthma is more clearly established when compared to its role in monitoring asthma. The potential of spirometry to aid decision making for asthma diagnosis and monitoring in children remains to be fully evaluated.

Educational aims

To provide knowledge of the commonly used guidelines for asthma diagnosis and management.To give insight into the opportunities and challenges in using spirometry to diagnose and monitor asthma in children.To provide an understanding of the precision of spirometry for diagnosing asthma.

Current and Optimal Practices in Childhood Asthma Monitoring Among Multiple International Stakeholders

Importance

Childhood asthma control largely depends on rigorous and regular monitoring. Although various clinical parameters, biomarkers, and patient-reported outcomes are helpful for monitoring purposes, there is no consensus on the minimum and/or optimal set of parameters and their relative priority.

Objective

To assess actual and perceived optimal childhood asthma monitoring practices used globally.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This international, multistakeholder survey study surveyed health care professionals and clinical academics with a professional interest in and exposure to childhood asthma between April 12 and September 3, 2021, to test for differences between the frequency that different techniques are actually used in practice vs optimal practice, between-group differences, and differences across medical settings and country economies.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Outcomes were frequency of duration of asthma monitoring visits as well as actual and perceived optimal use and importance of monitoring tools and domains.

Results

A total of 1319 participants with expertise in childhood asthma from 88 countries completed the survey. Participants included 1228 health care professionals with a balanced distribution across different care settings (305 [22.7%] primary care, 401 [29.9%] secondary, and 522 [38.9%] tertiary care) and 91 researchers. Children with mild to moderate asthma attended regular monitoring visits at a median (IQR) of 5.0 (2.5-8.0) months, with visits lasting a median (IQR) of 25 (15-25) minutes, whereas severe asthma required more frequent visits (median [IQR], 2.5 [1.0-2.5] months; median [IQR] duration, 25 [25-35] minutes). Monitoring of symptoms and control, adherence, comorbidities, lung function, medication adverse effects, and allergy were considered to be very high or high priority by more than 75% of the respondents. Different patterns emerged when assessing differences between actual and perceived optimal use of monitoring tools. For some tools, current and optimal practices did not differ much (eg, spirometry), whereas in others, there was considerable space for improvement (eg, standardized control and adherence tests). The largest gap was observed for between-visit monitoring with electronic trackers, apps, and smart devices. Differences across country economies, care settings, and medical specialties were modest.

Conclusions and Relevance

These survey results suggest that pediatric asthma monitoring is performed generally homogeneously worldwide, in most cases following evidence-based standards. Wider use of standardized instruments and the intensification of continuous between-visit monitoring, supported by electronic devices, is needed for further improvement of disease outcomes. The results of this survey, in conjunction with the available evidence base, can inform recommendations toward further optimization.

Does the routine use of spirometry improve clinical outcomes in children?-A systematic review

Spirometry provides a quantitative measure of lung function and its use is recommended as an adjunct to enhance pediatric respiratory healthcare in many clinical practice guidelines. However, there is limited evidence confirming the benefits (or otherwise) of using spirometry from either clinician or patient perspectives. This systematic review aimed to determine the impact of spirometry on change in clinical decision making and patient-reported outcome measures. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, www.clinicaltrials.gov, and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, from inception to July 2021. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the use versus non-use of spirometry during standard clinical review in children aged <18 years with respiratory problems in clinics. We used Cochrane methodology. The search identified 3475 articles; 8 full-text articles were reviewed but only 1 study fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The single study involved two cluster RCTs of spirometry for children with asthma in general practice. The included study did not find any significant intergroup difference at the 12-month follow-up for asthma-related quality-of-life and clinical endpoints. However, the findings were limited by methodological weaknesses and high risks of bias. With a paucity of data, the clinical benefits of spirometry remain unclear. Thus, there is a clear need for RCTs that provide high-quality evidence to support the routine use of spirometry in children with suspected or known lung disease. Pending the availability of better evidence, we recommend that clinicians adhere to the current clinical practice recommendations.

Pervasive Healthcare Internet of Things: A Survey

Thanks to the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), pervasive healthcare is gaining popularity day by day as it offers health support to patients irrespective of their location. In emergency medical situations, medical aid can be sent quickly. Though not yet standardized, this research direction, healthcare Internet of Things (H-IoT), attracts the attention of the research community, both academia and industry. In this article, we conduct a comprehensive survey of pervasive computing H-IoT. We would like to visit the wide range of applications. We provide a broad vision of key components, their roles, and connections in the big picture. We classify the vast amount of publications into different categories such as sensors, communication, artificial intelligence, infrastructure, and security. Intensively covering 118 research works, we survey (1) applications, (2) key components, their roles and connections, and (3) the challenges. Our survey also discusses the potential solutions to overcome the challenges in this research field.

[Role of peak expiratory flow in the assessment and management of asthma in children]

Peak expiratory flow (PEF) is a portable, reliable, and inexpensive method for lung function assessment. PEF can reflect expiratory airflow limitation and its variability can document reversibility, which provides an objective basis for the diagnosis of asthma in children. Short-term PEF monitoring can be an important aid in the management of acute asthma exacerbations, identification of possible triggers, and assessment of response to treatment. Long-term PEF monitoring can assist in the assessment of asthma control and warning of acute exacerbations, and this is useful for children with severe asthma. This article reviews the measurements, influencing factors, interpretation, and application of PEF, and its role in the diagnosis and management of asthma in children, to provide references for the clinical application of PEF in children.

Controversies in Pediatric Asthma

Pediatric asthma, the most common chronic disease of childhood, remains a significant burden to the health care system. Although there are guidelines for the management of pediatric asthma, there remain several controversies about how best to manage asthma in the primary care setting, and how to prevent asthma exacerbations and subsequent emergency department visits and hospitalizations. In this article, we address four of these controversies: use of written asthma treatment plans, the role of long-acting beta-agonists, spirometry and peak flow measurements in disease management, and engagement of school nurses in the health care team. We provide suggestions and guidance related to these topics for the pediatric primary care provider. [Pediatr Ann. 2019;48(3):e128-e134.].

School-based self-management interventions for asthma in children and adolescents: a mixed methods systematic review

BACKGROUND

Asthma is a common respiratory condition in children that is characterised by symptoms including wheeze, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and cough. Children with asthma may be able to manage their condition more effectively by improving inhaler technique, and by recognising and responding to symptoms. Schools offer a potentially supportive environment for delivering interventions aimed at improving self-management skills among children. The educational ethos aligns with skill and knowledge acquisition and makes it easier to reach children with asthma who do not regularly engage with primary care. Given the multi-faceted nature of self-management interventions, there is a need to understand the combination of intervention features that are associated with successful delivery of asthma self-management programmes.

OBJECTIVES

This review has two primary objectives.• To identify the intervention features that are aligned with successful intervention implementation.• To assess effectiveness of school-based interventions provided to improve asthma self-management among children.We addressed the first objective by performing qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), a synthesis method described in depth later, of process evaluation studies to identify the combination of intervention components and processes that are aligned with successful intervention implementation.We pursued the second objective by undertaking meta-analyses of outcomes reported by outcome evaluation studies. We explored the link between how well an intervention is implemented and its effectiveness by using separate models, as well as by undertaking additional subgroup analyses.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Airways Trials Register for randomised studies. To identify eligible process evaluation studies, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Web of Knowledge, the Database of Promoting Health Effectiveness Reviews (DoPHER), the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), the International Biography of Social Science (IBSS), Bibliomap, Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), and Sociological Abstracts (SocAbs). We conducted the latest search on 28 August 2017.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Participants were school-aged children with asthma who received the intervention in school. Interventions were eligible if their purpose was to help children improve management of their asthma by increasing knowledge, enhancing skills, or changing behaviour. Studies relevant to our first objective could be based on an experimental or quasi-experimental design and could use qualitative or quantitative methods of data collection. For the second objective we included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) where children were allocated individually or in clusters (e.g. classrooms or schools) to self-management interventions or no intervention control.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to identify intervention features that lead to successful implementation of asthma self-management interventions. We measured implementation success by reviewing reports of attrition, intervention dosage, and treatment adherence, irrespective of effects of the interventions.To measure the effects of interventions, we combined data from eligible studies for our primary outcomes: admission to hospital, emergency department (ED) visits, absence from school, and days of restricted activity due to asthma symptoms. Secondary outcomes included unplanned visits to healthcare providers, daytime and night-time symptoms, use of reliever therapies, and health-related quality of life as measured by the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ).

MAIN RESULTS

We included 55 studies in the review. Thirty-three studies in 14,174 children provided information for the QCA, and 33 RCTs in 12,623 children measured the effects of interventions. Eleven studies contributed to both the QCA and the analysis of effectiveness. Most studies were conducted in North America in socially disadvantaged populations. High school students were better represented among studies contributing to the QCA than in studies contributing to effectiveness evaluations, which more commonly included younger elementary and junior high school students. The interventions all attempted to improve knowledge of asthma, its triggers, and stressed the importance of regular practitioner review, although there was variation in how they were delivered.QCA results highlighted the importance of an intervention being theory driven, along with the importance of factors such as parent involvement, child satisfaction, and running the intervention outside the child's own time as drivers of successful implementation.Compared with no intervention, school-based self-management interventions probably reduce mean hospitalisations by an average of about 0.16 admissions per child over 12 months (SMD -0.19, 95% CI -0.35 to -0.04; 1873 participants; 6 studies, moderate certainty evidence). They may reduce the number of children who visit EDs from 7.5% to 5.4% over 12 months (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.92; 3883 participants; 13 studies, low certainty evidence), and probably reduce unplanned visits to hospitals or primary care from 26% to 21% at 6 to 9 months (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.90; 3490 participants; 5 studies, moderate certainty evidence). Self-management interventions probably reduce the number of days of restricted activity by just under half a day over a two-week period (MD 0.38 days 95% CI -0.41 to -0.18; 1852 participants; 3 studies, moderate certainty evidence). Effects of interventions on school absence are uncertain due to the variation between the results of the studies (MD 0.4 fewer school days missed per year with self-management (-1.25 to 0.45; 4609 participants; 10 studies, low certainty evidence). Evidence is insufficient to show whether the requirement for reliever medications is affected by these interventions (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.15 to 1.81; 437 participants; 2 studies; very low-certainty evidence). Self-management interventions probably improve children's asthma-related quality of life by a small amount (MD 0.36 units higher on the Paediatric AQLQ(95% CI 0.06 to 0.64; 2587 participants; 7 studies, moderate certainty evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

School-based asthma self-management interventions probably reduce hospital admission and may slightly reduce ED attendance, although their impact on school attendance could not be measured reliably. They may also reduce the number of days where children experience asthma symptoms, and probably lead to small improvements in asthma-related quality of life. Many of the studies tested the intervention in younger children from socially disadvantaged populations. Interventions that had a theoretical framework, engaged parents and were run outside of children's free time were associated with successful implementation.

Vortex Whistle and Smart Phone Application for Peak Flow Recordings in Asthmatic Children: A Feasibility Study

Introduction: Variable airflow obstruction that can be confirmed by diurnal variability of peak expiratory flow (PEF) >13% is an important characteristic of asthma. Home monitoring of PEF may be helpful to diagnose and monitor asthma. In this feasibility study, we aimed to study if asthmatic children can measure PEF at home twice daily during a 4-week period using a device designed as a "whistle" and a smart phone software application. Materials and Methods: Twice daily during 4 weeks, children aged 5-12 years with current asthma rated their asthma condition electronically on the smart phone application Blowfish before inhaling deeply then exhaling into the device to produce a high-pitched sound recorded by the application. Through mathematical algorithms, the sound was transferred to PEF, which was uploaded to a server. At inclusion, the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Childhood Asthma Control Test were answered. At the end, the parents graded the device and application. Results: One child did not manage to upload PEF. For the remaining 21 children, the median (quartiles) days with at least one measurement during the period were 27 (21-29.5), and on median 18 (9-24) days PEF was recorded twice daily. The median parental score (potential score 0-20) of the application was 18 (15-20). Discussion/Conclusion: The study shows promising results for home monitoring of PEF by an electronic device with automatic teletransmission. The high rate of successful recordings and parental satisfaction suggests that the clinical utility of the solution should be further studied.

Applying UK real-world primary care data to predict asthma attacks in 3776 well-characterised children: a retrospective cohort study

Current understanding of risk factors for asthma attacks in children is based on studies of small but well-characterised populations or pharmaco-epidemiology studies of large but poorly characterised populations. We describe an observational study of factors linked to future asthma attacks in large number of well-characterised children. From two UK primary care databases (Clinical Practice Research Datalink and Optimum Patient Care research Database), a cohort of children was identified with asthma aged 5–12 years and where data were available for ≥2 consecutive years. In the “baseline” year, predictors included treatment step, number of attacks, blood eosinophil count, peak flow and obesity. In the “outcome” year the number of attacks was determined and related to predictors. There were 3776 children, of whom 525 (14%) had ≥1 attack in the outcome year. The odds ratio (OR) for one attack was 3.7 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 2.9, 4.8) for children with 1 attack in the baseline year and increased to 7.7 (95% CI 5.6, 10.7) for those with ≥2 attacks, relative to no attacks. Higher treatment step, younger age, lower respiratory tract infections, reduced peak flow and eosinophil count >400/μL were also associated with small increases in OR for an asthma attack during the outcome year. In this large population, several factors were associated with a future asthma attack, but a past history of attacks was most strongly associated with future attacks. Interventions aimed at reducing the risk for asthma attacks could use primary care records to identify children at risk for asthma attacks.

A past history of asthma attacks in young children is a strong predictor for future attacks and should be factored into treatment regimes. Childhood asthma attacks take considerable toll on sufferers and their carers, yet risk factors for future attacks are unclear. David Price at the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute in Singapore and co-workers searched UK primary care databases to find at least two years’ worth of consecutive data on children with asthma aged 5 to 12. The team analyzed data from 3,776 children. Their results showed that past attacks are the strongest predictor for future attacks; of 638 patients who experienced more than one asthma attack during the first year, 240 (38%) had attacks in the second year. Other risk factors included reduced peak flow, lower respiratory tract infections and younger age.

Difficult vs. Severe Asthma: Definition and Limits of Asthma Control in the Pediatric Population

Evaluating the degree of disease control is pivotal when assessing a patient with asthma. Asthma control is defined as the degree to which manifestations of the disease are reduced or removed by therapy. Two domains of asthma control are identified in the guidelines: symptom control and future risk of poor asthma outcomes, including asthma attacks, accelerated decline in lung function, or treatment-related side effects. Over the past decade, the definition and the tools of asthma control have been substantially implemented so that the majority of children with asthma have their disease well controlled with standard therapies. However, a small subset of asthmatic children still requires maximal therapy to achieve or maintain symptom control and experience considerable morbidity. Childhood uncontrolled asthma is a heterogeneous group and represents a clinical and therapeutic challenge requiring a multidisciplinary systematic assessment. The identification of the factors that may contribute to the gain or loss of control in asthma is essential in differentiating children with difficult-to-treat asthma from those with severe asthma that is resistant to traditional therapies. The aim of this review is to focus on current concept of asthma control, describing monitoring tools currently used to assess asthma control in clinical practice and research, and evaluating comorbidities and modifiable and non-modifiable factors associated with uncontrolled asthma in children, with particular reference to severe asthma.

Evaluation of monitoring strategies for childhood asthma

INTRODUCTION

The goal of monitoring pediatric asthma is to obtain and maintain asthma control, which is defined as minimizing asthma symptoms, restrictions to daily activities and the use of rescue medication. Long term goals include reducing the risk of fixed airflow limitation, and preventing asthma exacerbations and side effects of treatment. Several monitoring tools are available but no consensus exists on how to monitor patients in the most optimal way. Areas covered: In this review, we provide an overview of different tools and address general considerations on monitoring childhood asthma. Asthma care should be tailored to the individual patient. The health care professional should decide which monitoring strategy and frequency is optimal for the individual patient. Expert commentary: Personalized medicine should be the key issue in monitoring asthma in children. It is crucial to monitor disease activity and deterioration but there is no monitoring strategy that is clearly superior compared to others: The optimal strategy and frequency will vary between patients. Actually, both treatment and monitoring of pediatric asthma probably benefit from a personalized approach.

Predicting and reducing risk of exacerbations in children with asthma in the primary care setting: current perspectives

Childhood asthma is a very common condition in western countries and is becoming more prevalent worldwide. Asthma attacks (or exacerbations) affect the quality of life for child and parent, can rarely result in death, and also come at a cost for health care providers and the economy. The aims of this review were to 1) describe the burden of asthma exacerbations, 2) describe factors that might predict a child at increased risk of having an asthma attack, and 3) explore what interventions might be delivered in primary care to reduce the risk of a child having an asthma attack. Asthma attacks are more common in younger children and those with more severe asthma, although prevalence varies between countries. Many factors are associated with asthma attacks including environmental exposures, patient–clinician relationship, and patient factors. Currently, the best predictor of an asthma attack is a history of an attack in the previous 12 months, and the more attacks, the greater the risk. Looking ahead, it is likely that surveillance of routinely collected primary care data can be used to identify an individual at increased risk. Stratified (or personalized) treatment, which might involve physiological monitoring and genetic analysis, offers the potential to reduce an individual’s risk of asthma attack. Whatever the future holds, the relationship between patient and clinician will remain central to asthma management.

Monitoring asthma in childhood

The goal of asthma treatment is to obtain clinical control and reduce future risks to the patient. However, to date there is limited evidence on how to monitor patients with asthma. Childhood asthma introduces specific challenges in terms of deciding what, when, how often, by whom and in whom different assessments of asthma should be performed. The age of the child, the fluctuating course of asthma severity, variability in clinical presentation, exacerbations, comorbidities, socioeconomic and psychosocial factors, and environmental exposures may all influence disease activity and, hence, monitoring strategies. These factors will be addressed in herein.

We identified large knowledge gaps in the effects of different monitoring strategies in children with asthma. Studies into monitoring strategies are urgently needed, preferably in collaborative paediatric studies across countries and healthcare systems.

Monitoring asthma in children is essential for disease control and should reflect age, triggers and disease activityhttp://ow.ly/J0k7f

Monitoring asthma in childhood: lung function, bronchial responsiveness and inflammation

This review focuses on the methods available for measuring reversible airways obstruction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and inflammation as hallmarks of asthma, and their role in monitoring children with asthma. Persistent bronchial obstruction may occur in asymptomatic children and is considered a risk factor for severe asthma episodes and is associated with poor asthma outcome. Annual measurement of forced expiratory volume in 1 s using office based spirometry is considered useful. Other lung function measurements including the assessment of BHR may be reserved for children with possible exercise limitations, poor symptom perception and those not responding to their current treatment or with atypical asthma symptoms, and performed on a higher specialty level. To date, for most methods of measuring lung function there are no proper randomised controlled or large longitudinal studies available to establish their role in asthma management in children. Noninvasive biomarkers for monitoring inflammation in children are available, for example the measurement of exhaled nitric oxide fraction, and the assessment of induced sputum cytology or inflammatory mediators in the exhaled breath condensate. However, their role and usefulness in routine clinical practice to monitor and guide therapy remains unclear, and therefore, their use should be reserved for selected cases.

Evaluating the Validity of an Automated Device for Asthma Monitoring for Adolescents: Correlational Design

BACKGROUND

Symptom monitoring is a cornerstone of asthma self-management. Conventional methods of symptom monitoring have fallen short in producing objective data and eliciting patients' consistent adherence, particularly in teen patients. We have recently developed an Automated Device for Asthma Monitoring (ADAM) using a consumer mobile device as a platform to facilitate continuous and objective symptom monitoring in adolescents in vivo.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the validity of the device using spirometer data, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), existing measures of asthma symptoms/control and health care utilization data, and to examine the sensitivity and specificity of the device in discriminating asthma cases from nonasthma cases.

METHODS

A total of 84 teens (42 teens with a current asthma diagnosis; 42 without asthma) aged between 13 and 17 years participated in the study. All participants used ADAM for 7 consecutive days during which participants with asthma completed an asthma diary two times a day. ADAM recorded the frequency of coughing for 24 hours throughout the 7-day trial. Pearson correlation and multiple regression were used to examine the relationships between ADAM data and asthma control, quality of life, and health care utilization at the time of the 7-day trial and 3 months later. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to examine sensitivity and specificity based on the area under the curve (AUC) as an indicator of the device's capacity to discriminate between asthma versus nonasthma cases.

RESULTS

ADAM data (cough counts) were negatively associated with forced expiratory volume in first second of expiration (FEV1) (r=-.26, P=.05), forced vital capacity (FVC) (r=-.31, P=.02), and overall asthma control (r=-.41, P=.009) and positively associated with daily activity limitation (r=.46, P=.01), nighttime (r=.40, P=.02) and daytime symptoms (r=.38, P=.02), and health care utilization (r=.61, P<.001). Device data were also a significant predictor of asthma control (β=-.48, P=.003), quality of life (β=-.55, P=.001), and health care utilization (β=.74, P=.004) after 3 months. The ROC curve analysis for the presence of asthma diagnosis had an AUC of 0.71 (95% CI 0.58-0.84), which was significantly different from chance (χ(2) 1=9.7, P=.002), indicating the device's discriminating capacity. The optimal cutoff value of the device was 0.56 with a sensitivity of 51.3% and a specificity of 72.7%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates validity of ADAM as a symptom-monitoring device in teens with asthma. ADAM data reflect the current status of asthma control and predict asthma morbidity and quality of life for the near future. A monitoring device such as ADAM can increase patients' awareness of the patterns of cough for early detection of worsening asthma and has the potential for preventing serious and costly future consequences of asthma.

Spirometry and regular follow-up do not improve quality of life in children or adolescents with asthma: Cluster randomized controlled trials

RATIONALE

To determine whether spirometry and regular medical review improved quality of life or other outcomes in children and adolescents with asthma.

METHODS

We conducted two cluster randomized controlled trials. We recruited 238 asthma patients aged between 7 and 17 years from 56 general practices in South Eastern Australia. Participants were randomized to receive an intervention that included spirometry or usual care. The main outcome measure was asthma related quality of life.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics were well matched between the intervention and control groups. Neither trial found any difference in asthma related quality of life between groups. However because of measurement properties, a formal meta-analysis could not be performed. Nor were there any significant effects of the intervention upon asthma attacks, limitation to usual activities, nocturnal cough, bother during physical activity, worry about asthma, or written asthma action plans.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings do not support more widespread use of spirometry for the management of childhood asthma in general practice, unless it is integrated into a complete management model.

Monitoring asthma in children

The goal of asthma treatment is to obtain clinical control and reduce future risks to the patient. To reach this goal in children with asthma, ongoing monitoring is essential. While all components of asthma, such as symptoms, lung function, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and inflammation, may exist in various combinations in different individuals, to date there is limited evidence on how to integrate these for optimal monitoring of children with asthma. The aims of this ERS Task Force were to describe the current practise and give an overview of the best available evidence on how to monitor children with asthma. 22 clinical and research experts reviewed the literature. A modified Delphi method and four Task Force meetings were used to reach a consensus. This statement summarises the literature on monitoring children with asthma. Available tools for monitoring children with asthma, such as clinical tools, lung function, bronchial responsiveness and inflammatory markers, are described as are the ways in which they may be used in children with asthma. Management-related issues, comorbidities and environmental factors are summarised. Despite considerable interest in monitoring asthma in children, for many aspects of monitoring asthma in children there is a substantial lack of evidence.

Respiratory disease and respiratory physiology: putting lung function into perspective: paediatric asthma

Dealing with paediatric asthma in daily practice, we are mostly interested in the airway function: the hallmark of asthma is the variability of airway patency. Various pulmonary function tests (PFT) can be used to quantify airway caliber in asthmatic children. The choice of the test is based on the developmental age of the child, knowledge of the diagnosis/underlying pathophysiology, clinical questions and reasoning, and treatment. PFT is performed to monitor the severity of asthma and the response to therapy, but can also be used as a diagnostic tool, and to study growth and development of the lungs and airways. This review aims to provide clinicians an overview of the differences in assessing PFT in infants and preschool children compared with older cooperative children, which tests are feasible in infants and young children, the limitations of and usefulness of these tests, and of their interpretation in these age groups.

Asthma control questionnaires in the management of asthma in children: A review

Several self-administered questionnaires have been developed to assess childhood asthma control in a simple and standardized way. This review discusses the most commonly used questionnaires and explores their usefulness in asthma management in children. We conclude that the use of asthma control questionnaires in daily practice and in research contributes to the standardized evaluation of children with asthma and helps to track asthma symptoms, but validation studies in a wider range of settings are needed.

Development of online diary and self-management system on e-Healthcare for asthmatic children in Taiwan

OBJECTIVE

Many regional programs of the countries educate asthmatic children and their families to manage healthcare data. This study aims to establish a Web-based self-management system, eAsthmaCare, to promote the electronic healthcare (e-Healthcare) services for the asthmatic children in Taiwan. The platform can perform real time online functionality based upon a five-tier infrastructure with mutually supportive components to acquire asthma diaries, quality of life assessments and health educations.

METHODS

We have designed five multi-disciplinary portions on the interactive interface functioned with the analytical diagrams: (1) online asthma diary, (2) remote asthma assessment, (3) instantaneous asthma alert, (4) diagrammatical clinic support, and (5) asthma health education. The Internet-based asthma diary and assessment program was developed for patients to process self-management healthcare at home. In addition, the online analytical charts can help healthcare professionals to evaluate multi-domain health information of patients immediately.

RESULTS

eAsthmaCare was developed by Java™ Servlet/JSP technology upon Apache Tomcat™ web server and Oracle™ database. Forty-one voluntary asthmatic children (and their parents) were intervened to examine the proposed system. Seven domains of satisfiability assessment by using the system were applied for approving the development. The average scores were scaled in the acceptable range for each domain to ensure feasibility of the proposed system.

CONCLUSION

The study revealed the details of system infrastructure and developed functions that can help asthmatic children in self-management for healthcare to enhance communications between patients and hospital professionals.

The development of an automated device for asthma monitoring for adolescents: methodologic approach and user acceptability

BACKGROUND

Many adolescents suffer serious asthma related morbidity that can be prevented by adequate self-management of the disease. The accurate symptom monitoring by patients is the most fundamental antecedent to effective asthma management. Nonetheless, the adequacy and effectiveness of current methods of symptom self-monitoring have been challenged due to the individuals' fallible symptom perception, poor adherence, and inadequate technique. Recognition of these limitations led to the development of an innovative device that can facilitate continuous and accurate monitoring of asthma symptoms with minimal disruption of daily routines, thus increasing acceptability to adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study were to: (1) describe the development of a novel symptom monitoring device for teenagers (teens), and (2) assess their perspectives on the usability and acceptability of the device.

METHODS

Adolescents (13-17 years old) with and without asthma participated in the evolution of an automated device for asthma monitoring (ADAM), which comprised three phases, including development (Phase 1, n=37), validation/user acceptability (Phase 2, n=84), and post hoc validation (Phase 3, n=10). In Phase 1, symptom algorithms were identified based on the acoustic analysis of raw symptom sounds and programmed into a popular mobile system, the iPod. Phase 2 involved a 7 day trial of ADAM in vivo, and the evaluation of user acceptance using an acceptance survey and individual interviews. ADAM was further modified and enhanced in Phase 3.

RESULTS

Through ADAM, incoming audio data were digitized and processed in two steps involving the extraction of a sequence of descriptive feature vectors, and the processing of these sequences by a hidden Markov model-based Viterbi decoder to differentiate symptom sounds from background noise. The number and times of detected symptoms were stored and displayed in the device. The sensitivity (true positive) of the updated cough algorithm was 70% (21/30), and, on average, 2 coughs per hour were identified as false positive. ADAM also kept track of the their activity level throughout the day using the mobile system's built in accelerometer function. Overall, the device was well received by participants who perceived it as attractive, convenient, and helpful. The participants recognized the potential benefits of the device in asthma care, and were eager to use it for their asthma management.

CONCLUSIONS

ADAM can potentially automate daily symptom monitoring with minimal intrusiveness and maximal objectivity. The users' acceptance of the device based on its recognized convenience, user-friendliness, and usefulness in increasing symptom awareness underscores ADAM's potential to overcome the issues of symptom monitoring including poor adherence, inadequate technique, and poor symptom perception in adolescents. Further refinement of the algorithm is warranted to improve the accuracy of the device. Future study is also needed to assess the efficacy of the device in promoting self-management and asthma outcomes.

Electronic monitoring of symptoms and lung function to assess asthma control in children

BACKGROUND

Asthma remains poorly controlled in children. Home monitoring of asthma control may help to improve the level of asthma control.

OBJECTIVES

To compare 2 methods to assess asthma control: (1) prospective home monitoring, based on daily assessment of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and electronic symptom score, and (2) Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) with retrospective assessment of symptoms and FEV1.

METHODS

Ninety-six children with asthma were prospectively followed up during 1 year. Asthma control was assessed by home monitoring, including an electronic symptom score based on Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) criteria and FEV1 measurements. In the hospital, the ACQ was completed and FEV₁ was measured. Kappa analysis was performed to assess levels of agreement between the 2 methods.

RESULTS

Agreement between the 2 methods was low (κ coefficient of 0.393). In 29 children (37%), prospective home monitoring was less optimistic than the retrospective assessment of asthma control by the ACQ.

CONCLUSION

This study found low agreement between asthma control based on GINA criteria by means of prospective home monitoring and the hospital ACQ. The prospective home monitor detected more cases of less well-controlled asthma than the ACQ. However, optimization of adherence to home monitor use is necessary.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01239238.

Will symptom-based therapy be effective for treating asthma in children?

Traditionally, symptoms are important patient-oriented outcomes in asthma treatment, and assessment of symptoms is an essential component of assessing asthma control. However, variable airways obstruction, airways hyperresponsiveness and chronic inflammation are key components of the asthma syndrome, and correlations among these hallmarks and symptoms are weak or even absent. Therefore, it might be questioned if symptom-based therapy is effective for treating asthma in (all) children. To date, there is no firm indication that monitoring asthma based on repetitive lung function measurement or markers of airway inflammation is superior to monitoring based on symptoms only. In the majority of patients, symptom-based asthma management may well be sufficient, and in preschool children, symptoms are presently the only feasible outcome. Nevertheless, there is some evidence that selected groups might benefit from an approach that takes into account individual phenotypic characteristics. In patients with poor perception, those with a discordant phenotype and those with persistent severe asthma, considering lung function, airways hyperresponsiveness and inflammatory markers in treatment decisions might improve outcomes.

A prospective examination of asthma symptom monitoring: provider, caregiver and pediatric patient influences on peak flow meter use

OBJECTIVE

This study examined whether provider, caregiver and child communication predicted peak flow meter (PFM) use one month later.

METHODS

Five practices, 35 providers and 296 children with persistent asthma and their caregivers comprised the study sample. Audio-recorded provider-caregiver-child communication during the baseline medical visit captured discussion of the PFM; and child and caregiver baseline interviews after the medical visit collected factors associated with PFM use. Child- and caregiver-reported PFM availability and use, and observed child use of PFM were collected one-month later in the family's home.

RESULTS

During the medical visit, provider communication about PFM use was infrequent (10% maximum) and child- or caregiver-initiated communication was nearly absent (0%-2%). Despite this, children demonstrated good use of the PFM one month later. Children were significantly more likely to perform at least six PFM steps correctly one month later when there was more communication about PFM during the medical visit. Few other factors predicted availability and use.

CONCLUSIONS

Few providers discussed use of a PFM; observed performance was predicted by having talked about it with the child's provider. Provider communication should be targeted in future interventions to improve asthma management skills.

Using Orem's self-care model for asthmatic adolescents

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of Orem's self-care model on the self-care of adolescents with asthma.

DESIGN AND METHODS

In this experimental design, adolescents with asthma (N = 80) received home visits and individualized care based on theory-guided nursing diagnoses. Patients in the experimental group were visited in their homes eight times, and those in the control group were visited two times.

RESULTS

The five self-care skills of medicine usage, peak expiratory flow meter usage, applying an asthma action plan, keeping a daily follow-up schedule, and protecting against triggering factors differed significantly between the first and last visits in the experimental group, whereas the self-care skills of adolescents in the control group did not change.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Applying Orem's self-care model increased the self-care skills of adolescents with asthma.

The clinician's guide on monitoring children with asthma

Based on a review of the evidence on the usefulness of monitoring disease outcome parameters in childhood asthma and the author's 20-yr clinical experience in managing childhood asthma, this article provides the clinician with up-to-date recommendations on how to monitor childhood asthma in everyday clinical practice. Monitoring should be focused on patient-centered outcomes, such as exacerbations and impact on sports and play. Composite asthma control measures, although reasonably validated, do not take exacerbations into account and have a short recall window, limiting their usefulness as a routine monitoring tool in clinical practice. Lung function, airways hyperresponsiveness, exhaled nitric oxide, and inflammatory markers in sputum are surrogate end points, of little if any interest to patients. There is no evidence to support their use as a monitoring tool in clinical practice; office spirometry may be used as additional information. Rather than monitoring surrogate end points, clinicians should focus on showing a genuine interest in the impact of asthma on children's daily lives, and building and maintaining a partnership by monitoring those characteristics of asthma which have the biggest impact on children (exacerbations and limitations in sports and play), and adjusting treatment accordingly.

Improving home management plan of care compliance rates through an electronic asthma action plan

BACKGROUND

In 2007, the Joint Commission mandated reporting of three children's asthma care (CAC) measures for hospitalized patients with asthma. The third children's asthma care measure (CAC-3) focuses on hospital discharge with a comprehensive home management plan of care (HMPC) based on the clinical severity.

OBJECTIVE

To improve CAC-3 compliance and identify what interventions would have the most impact.

METHODS

This was a retrospective observational study, conducted at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) between October 2008 and January 2012. A total of 470 patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of asthma were included. Four Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles testing separate interventions were used throughout the study period: clinical care coordinators (CCCs), red clipboard for paper HMPC, electronic HMPC, and hard-stop HMPC. Chi-square and binomial tests compared CHLA's CAC-3 compliance rates within intervention windows as well as to the national average.

RESULTS

Between October 2008 and May 2009, CHLA had a compliance rate of 39%, well below the national average (p = .001). Involvement of CCCs increased the overall compliance to 74% (χ(2)(1) = 11.59, p < .001). Implementation of an electronic HMPC in October 2010 led to the largest increase in overall compliance (93%) when compared to the previous intervention window (χ(2)(1) = 4.38, p < .036), as well as the national average (p = .016). Compliance rates remained above 90% for four out of the following five quarters.

CONCLUSIONS

Involvement of CCCs led to a significant increase in the overall CAC-3 compliance. An electronic HMPC improved rates well above the national average. This provides a framework for other institutions that may or may not utilize an electronic medical record.

Home-based educational interventions for children with asthma

BACKGROUND

While guidelines recommend that children with asthma should receive asthma education, it is not known if education delivered in the home is superior to usual care or the same education delivered elsewhere. The home setting allows educators to reach populations (such as the economically disadvantaged) that may experience barriers to care (such as lack of transportation) within a familiar environment.

OBJECTIVES

To perform a systematic review on educational interventions for asthma delivered in the home to children, caregivers or both, and to determine the effects of such interventions on asthma-related health outcomes. We also planned to make the education interventions accessible to readers by summarising the content and components.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register of trials, which includes the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED and PsycINFO, and handsearched respiratory journals and meeting abstracts. We also searched the Education Resources Information Center database (ERIC), reference lists of trials and review articles (last search January 2011).

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials of asthma education delivered in the home to children, their caregivers or both. In the first comparison, eligible control groups were provided usual care or the same education delivered outside of the home. For the second comparison, control groups received a less intensive educational intervention delivered in the home.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently selected the trials, assessed trial quality and extracted the data. We contacted study authors for additional information. We pooled dichotomous data with fixed-effect odds ratio and continuous data with mean difference (MD) using a fixed-effect where possible.

MAIN RESULTS

A total of 12 studies involving 2342 children were included. Eleven out of 12 trials were conducted in North America, within urban or suburban settings involving vulnerable populations. The studies were overall of good methodological quality. They differed markedly in terms of age, severity of asthma, context and content of the educational intervention leading to substantial clinical heterogeneity. Due to this clinical heterogeneity, we did not pool results for our primary outcome, the number of patients with exacerbations requiring emergency department (ED) visit. The mean number of exacerbations requiring ED visits per person at six months was not significantly different between the home-based intervention and control groups (N = 2 studies; MD 0.04; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.20 to 0.27). Only one trial contributed to our other primary outcome, exacerbations requiring a course of oral corticosteroids. Hospital admissions also demonstrated wide variation between trials with significant changes in some trials in both directions. Quality of life improved in both education and control groups over time.A table summarising some of the key components of the education programmes is included in the review.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found inconsistent evidence for home-based asthma educational interventions compared to standard care, education delivered outside of the home or a less intensive educational intervention delivered at home. Although education remains a key component of managing asthma in children, advocated in numerous guidelines, this review does not contribute further information on the fundamental content and optimum setting for such educational interventions.

Recent advances in pediatric asthma treatment

Although wheezing illness is at its most prevalent in infancy and early childhood, its self-limiting nature in the majority poses considerable challenges in offering a long-term prognosis and in initiating long-term prophylaxis. Many of the established treatments in adults have not been adequately assessed in children. Evidence is also emerging for a number of different wheezing syndromes, several of which do not to respond well to currently available medicines. Much research interest is being directed to underlying changes within the airway that appear to be independent of allergic mechanisms and that may lead to novel therapeutic approaches. The aim of this review is to restate and update current best-practice based on evidence, to encourage effective and safe use of asthma medication in children and to point to areas of ongoing research that are likely to influence management decisions in the near future.

Airway obstruction at time of symptoms prompting use of reliever therapy in children with asthma

BACKGROUND

In asthma treatment, doses of inhaled corticosteroids are often adapted to symptoms and need for bronchodilators. However, in cross-sectional studies in emergency room settings, lung function and respiratory symptoms are not always concordant. Available longitudinal data are based on written peak flow diaries, which are unreliable. Using home spirometry, we studied prospectively whether mild respiratory symptoms, prompting reliever therapy are accompanied by a clinically relevant drop in lung function in children with asthma.

METHODS

For 8 weeks, children with asthma scored symptoms and measured peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV(1)) on a home spirometer twice daily. Additional measurements were recorded when respiratory symptoms prompted them to use bronchodilators.

RESULTS

The mean difference between symptom free days and at times of symptoms was 6.6% of personal best for PEF (95% CI: 3.2-10.0; p = 0.0004) and 6.0% of predicted for FEV(1) (95% CI: 3.0-9.0; p = 0.0004). There was complete overlap in PEF and FEV(1) distributions between symptom free days and at times of symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Although statistically significant, the degree of airway narrowing at times of respiratory symptoms, prompting the use of reliever therapy, is highly variable between patients, limiting the usefulness of home spirometry to monitor childhood asthma.

Peak flow monitoring in pediatric asthma management: a clinical practice column submission

Peak expiratory flow (PEF) monitoring has long been a mainstay of asthma management, but controversy surrounds its efficacy in the pediatric population, and little published research exists on the subject. PEF is both effort and technique dependent and is not suitable for use in children under the age of 5 or with developmental disabilities. However, PEF is useful for monitoring airway changes if used properly, especially in that segment of the population labeled as "poor perceivers" of worsening symptoms. The authors review existing literature on the subject, including the newly revised National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2007). Expert panel report 3: Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma-full report 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2008, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthgdln.htm) evidence-based guidelines.

Advances in treating acute asthma exacerbations in children

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Asthma continues to be a major chronic disease in children, and acute asthma exacerbations are common. Although the basic therapy of asthma exacerbations has not changed, recent studies have demonstrated improved outcomes with different modes of delivery of medications, improved patients' self-management of their asthma, and recognition of risk factors for severe exacerbations.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies in children have shown that written action plans based on symptom recognition are more effective than action plans based on peak expiratory flows. Bronchodilator administration by metered-dose inhaler is becoming the preferred therapy for treating mild-to-moderate asthma exacerbations in the emergency department, but nebulizers may still have a role in home and inpatient asthma management. High-dose inhaled corticosteroids may be as effective as oral corticosteroids for acute asthma exacerbations. A novel treatment strategy has titrated combination therapy with budesonide and formoterol for both maintenance and relief of symptoms. Lastly, the contributions of obesity and genetic variation to severe asthma exacerbations are becoming known, and noninvasive positive pressure ventilation has become an option for patients in severe asthma exacerbations.

SUMMARY

Improvements in management strategies can significantly improve outcomes in children with asthma.

Interventions for educating children who are at risk of asthma-related emergency department attendance

BACKGROUND

Asthma is the most common chronic childhood illness and is a leading cause for paediatric admission to hospital. Asthma management for children results in substantial costs. There is evidence to suggest that hospital admissions could be reduced with effective education for parents and children about asthma and its management.

OBJECTIVES

To conduct a systematic review of the literature and update the previous review as to whether asthma education leads to improved health outcomes in children who have attended the emergency room for asthma.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Airways Group Trials Register, including the MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL databases, and reference lists of trials and review articles (last search May 2008).

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials of asthma education for children who had attended the emergency department for asthma, with or without hospitalisation, within the previous 12 months.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. We contacted study authors for additional information. We pooled dichotomous data with a fixed-effect risk ratio. We used a random-effects risk ratio for sensitivity analysis of heterogenous data.

MAIN RESULTS

A total of 38 studies involving 7843 children were included. Following educational intervention delivered to children, their parents or both, there was a significantly reduced risk of subsequent emergency department visits (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.81, N = 3008) and hospital admissions (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.92, N = 4019) compared with control. There were also fewer unscheduled doctor visits (RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.81, N = 1009). Very few data were available for other outcomes (FEV1, PEF, rescue medication use, quality of life or symptoms) and there was no statistically significant difference between education and control.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Asthma education aimed at children and their carers who present to the emergency department for acute exacerbations can result in lower risk of future emergency department presentation and hospital admission. There remains uncertainty as to the long-term effect of education on other markers of asthma morbidity such as quality of life, symptoms and lung function. It remains unclear as to what type, duration and intensity of educational packages are the most effective in reducing acute care utilisation.

The role of written action plans in childhood asthma

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aim of this article is to examine the evidence for the effectiveness of a written action plan as an important element of guided self-management and to identify key features associated with its effectiveness in children and adolescents.

RECENT FINDINGS

Various written action plans are available for use; however, few have been specifically designed or validated for children. Strong, but limited pediatric evidence confirms that the addition of a written action plan to guided self-management education significantly improves outcome. Use of daily controller medication, with no step-up therapy other than as needed inhaled beta2-agonist, best prevents asthma exacerbations. Symptom-based appear superior to peak-flow based written action plans. The paucity of pediatric trials does not permit the identification of other keys features that enhance the dispensing of written action plans by healthcare professionals or uptake of recommendations by children, adolescents and their parents.

SUMMARY

Written action plans are effective tools to facilitate self-management. While step-up therapy is not superior to daily controller medication, symptom-based are superior to peak-flow based action plans for preventing exacerbations, other keys features associated with effectiveness have yet to be identified.

Two for one: a self-management plan coupled with a prescription sheet for children with asthma

BACKGROUND

Despite strong recommendations in the asthma guidelines, the use of written self-management plans remains low among asthmatic patients.

OBJECTIVES

To develop a written self-management plan, based on scientific evidence and expert opinions, in a format intended to facilitate its dispensing by health care professionals, and to test the perception of its relevance and clarity by asthmatic children, adolescents and adults.

METHODS

Inspired by previously tested self-management plans, surveys of asthma educators, expert opinions and the 2004 Canadian Asthma Guidelines, the authors simultaneously developed French and English versions of a written self-management plan that coupled with a prescription. The self-management plan was tested in parents and their asthmatic children (aged one to 17 years), and it was revised until 85% clarity and perceived relevance was achieved.

RESULTS

Ninety-seven children and their parents were interviewed. Twenty per cent had a self-management plan. On the final revision, nearly all items were clear and perceived relevant by 85% or more of the interviewees. Two self-management plans were designed for clinics and acute care settings, respectively. The plans are divided into three control zones identified by symptoms with optional peak flow values and symbolized by traffic light colours. They are designed in triplicate format with a prescription slip, a medical chart copy and a patient copy.

CONCLUSION

The written self-management plans, based on available scientific evidence and expert opinions, are clear and perceived to be relevant by children, adolescents and their parents. By incorporating the prescription and chart copies, they were designed to facilitate dispensing by physicians in both clinics and acute care settings.

Asthma in childhood

Management decisions for pediatric asthma (in patients younger than 12 years of age) based on extrapolation from available evidence in adolescents and adults (age 12 years and older) is common but rarely appropriate. This article addresses the disparity in response between the two age groups, presents the available pediatric evidence, and highlights the important areas in which further research is required. Evidence-based recommendations for acute and interval management of pediatric asthma are provided.

The Brussels Declaration: the need for change in asthma management

Asthma is a highly prevalent condition across Europe and numerous guidelines have been developed to optimise management. However, asthma can be neither cured nor prevented, treatment choices are limited and many patients have poorly controlled or uncontrolled asthma. The Brussels Declaration on Asthma, sponsored by The Asthma, Allergy and Inflammation Research Charity, was developed to call attention to the shortfalls in asthma management and to urge European policy makers to recognise that asthma is a public health problem that should be a political priority. The Declaration urges recognition and action on the following points: the systemic inflammatory component of asthma should be better understood and considered in assessments of treatment efficacy; current research must be communicated and responded to quickly; the European Medicines Agency guidance note on asthma should be updated; "real world" studies should be funded and results used to inform guidelines; variations in care across Europe should be addressed; people with asthma should participate in their own care; the impact of environmental factors should be understood; and targets should be set for improvement. The present paper reviews the evidence supporting the need for change in asthma management and summarises the ten key points contained in the Brussels Declaration.

Individualized programme to promote self-care among older adults with asthma: randomized controlled trial

AIM

This paper is a report of a trial to examine the effectiveness of individualized self-care education programmes in older adults with moderate-to-severe asthma.

BACKGROUND

Asthma is a common chronic disease in adults and a major cause of frequent work absences, emergency room visits, and hospitalization. The results of studies of self-care education programmes have been largely supportive and suggest that they have positive outcomes for people with asthma. However, for older people with asthma, the effectiveness of computer-aided, self-learning video programmes has been controversial.

METHODS

Older adult patients with asthma (N = 148) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: usual care, individualized education, or individualized education with peak flow monitoring, and followed for 6 months. Data were collected from January to December 2006. The variables studied included demographic data, asthma self-care competence, asthma self-efficacy, and asthma self-care behaviour. FINDINGS. Patients in both individualized education groups reported higher asthma self-care competence scores (F = 334.06 and 481.37, P < 0.001) and asthma self-care and self-efficacy scores (F = 104.08 and 68.42, P < 0.001) than patients in the usual care group. In addition, patients who received individualized education with peak flow monitoring had statistically significantly higher asthma self-care behaviour and self-efficacy scores (P < 0.001) and asthma control indicators (P = 0.025) than the education alone group. No differences were found among the three groups in unscheduled health service usage.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that individualized education helps older people with asthma to enhance their self-care behaviours, manage their disease, and increase their quality of life.

[Follow up of asthmatic children: definition and measurement tools]

The guidelines for the management of asthma currently emphasise the concept of monitoring that reflects the activity of the disease over a period of several weeks. This principle is valid whatever the severity of the asthma. The monitoring tools are essentially clinical and functional. The clinical parameters (daytime and/or nocturnal symptoms, discomfort on exercise, beta-2 agonist usage) should be evaluated systematically at each consultation just as at the onset of exacerbations. A number of questionnaires have been developed (ATAQ, ACT...). At the functional level every asthmatic child should have the benefit of a respiratory function assessment, the frequency of which depends on the therapeutic management programme. Among the non-invasive measurements of airway inflammation the measurement of expired nitric oxide (NO) is the best established. The measurement of expired NO could improve some paraclinical parameters that are not monitored routinely.

Asthma education and monitoring: what has been shown to work

Cochrane systematic reviews and meta-analyses on education and monitoring of asthmatic children have come to divergent conclusions, mainly because of the heterogeneity of education programmes and patients. There is little doubt that education is useful. However, the useful components of the education programmes remain to be elucidated, not only by randomized controlled trials but also by observational studies performed within distinct asthma phenotypes. Any education and monitoring package needs to contain basic explanation about the disease and its influencing factors, as well as inhalation instructions. There is no good evidence to justify home monitoring of lung function; symptom monitoring suffices. Probably, the crucial part of asthma education programmes is a high level of agreement between patient and doctor regarding the goals of the treatment (patient-doctor partnership). Therefore, further exploration of the patient's needs should be worthwhile.