A pilot study of telephone based asthma management

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Health Services Research
• Digital Health

Background:

• Asthma self-management programs are recommended for adults with recent hospitalizations or emergency department visits.
• Telephone-based interventions have shown success in managing other chronic conditions.
• This study evaluated a novel telephone-based asthma management program for adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of a telephone-based self-management program in reducing hospital readmissions for adults with asthma.
• To determine the impact of the intervention on patient morbidity and healthcare utilization.

Main Methods:

• Adults with prior asthma hospitalizations were recruited between May 2001 and November 2003.
• Participants received initial face-to-face education and were randomized to either a telephone intervention (6 calls over 6 months) or usual care.
• Health care utilization and morbidity were monitored weekly for 12 months.

Main Results:

• The intervention group experienced only one hospital readmission compared to twenty in the control group over 12 months.
• Allocation to the control group was significantly associated with increased hospital readmissions (p=0.05).
• The control group reported significantly more nights woken by asthma symptoms (p=0.03).

Conclusions:

• Telephone-based self-management interventions can achieve clinically significant reductions in hospital readmissions for adults with a history of asthma hospitalization.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for improving asthma care and reducing healthcare burden.