Communication and education about triggers and environmental control strategies during pediatric asthma visits

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Environmental Health
• Primary Care Medicine

Background:

• Asthma management in children requires addressing environmental triggers.
• Effective trigger control can reduce asthma exacerbations.
• Current primary care discussions may not fully cover environmental asthma control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the frequency of discussions about environmental asthma trigger control during pediatric primary care visits.
• To identify demographic factors associated with these discussions.
• To evaluate the extent of patient and caregiver education on environmental control strategies.

Main Methods:

• Audio-tape recording of 296 pediatric asthma patient visits (ages 8-16) in North Carolina.
• Administration of post-visit questionnaires to caregivers.
• Analysis of discussions focusing on asthma triggers and environmental control.

Main Results:

• Providers discussed at least one asthma trigger in 86% of visits, most commonly exercise (70%).
• Environmental control strategies were discussed in only 27% of visits.
• Patient and caregiver education on environmental control occurred in 14% of visits.

Conclusions:

• While common asthma triggers are often discussed, environmental control strategies are less frequently addressed in pediatric primary care.
• There is a significant opportunity to enhance discussions on environmental asthma triggers and control methods.
• Increased focus on environmental triggers and control strategies by providers or asthma educators can improve pediatric asthma control.