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LOW-INCOME ASTHMATIC CHILDREN BENEFIT FROM EDUCATION, OUTREACH ACCORDING TO EASTERN VIRGINIA MEDICAL SCHOOL RESEARCH
NORFOLK, Va. -- An education and outreach program can dramatically improve the lives of asthmatic children from low-income families, according to research at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
The research was led by Cynthia Kelly, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at the Center for Pediatric Research, a joint program of EVMS and Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.
Asthma is the most common reason for children missing school, accounting for 25 percent of grade school absentees. In the United States, about $6 billion -- one percent of our health care budget -- is spent annually on asthma.
Between March and November 1995, Kelly enrolled 80 children between ages 2 and 15 in her study. All the children had moderate to severe asthma, defined as one hospitalization or an emergency room visit two or more times during the prior year. No changes were made to the management of the 40 patients in the control group, whereas management of the 40 patients in the intervention group included education regarding asthma management during routine visits to the pediatric allergy clinic and frequent phone follow-up with the asthma outreach nurse.
After one year, important differences between the control group and the intervention group were identified. Total hospitalizations and hospital days in the intervention group decreased significantly. In addition, quality of life measurements were markedly improved for more than 66 percent of the asthmatic children and their caretakers.
Kelly presented the research at the Pediatric Academic Societies' Annual Meeeting in Washington, DC.
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