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Published on: November 4, 2010

An economic evaluation of asthma action plans for children with asthma

Julie Polisena1, Susanna Tam, Abhay Lodha

  • 1Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

The Journal of Asthma : Official Journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma
|September 22, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Asthma action plans for children incurred higher costs without improving health outcomes. Further research is needed to determine their effectiveness in managing childhood asthma.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Health Economics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood asthma is a significant public health concern requiring effective management strategies.
  • Asthma action plans aim to empower patients and caregivers in managing asthma, but their economic impact and effectiveness require evaluation.
  • Understanding the costs and outcomes associated with asthma management is crucial for healthcare resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the costs and effectiveness of asthma action plans for children from a societal perspective.
  • To compare the total annual costs between children using asthma action plans and control groups.
  • To assess health outcomes such as symptom burden and asthma attacks in both groups.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional economic analysis was conducted.
  • Data on direct healthcare costs, indirect costs, symptom burden (nights with symptoms), and asthma attacks were collected.
  • The study included 879 children with asthma in Ontario.

Main Results:

  • The total annual cost per patient was higher for the asthma action plan group (CDN$6,948) compared to the control group (CDN$6,140).
  • Health outcomes, including symptom nights and asthma attacks, were similar between the two groups.
  • Increased medication and health services utilization in the intervention group contributed to the higher costs.

Conclusions:

  • Current asthma action plans for children, from a societal viewpoint, are associated with increased costs but do not demonstrate improved health outcomes.
  • The findings suggest that greater utilization of healthcare resources in the intervention group did not translate into better asthma control.
  • Prospective randomized trials are recommended to rigorously assess the potential benefits of asthma action plans on asthma control in pediatric populations.

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