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Does a written asthma action plan reduce unscheduled doctor visits in children?

Su Sien Wong1, Anna Marie Nathan, Jessie de Bruyne

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University Malaya Medical Centre, Lembah Pantai, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Indian Journal of Pediatrics
|July 17, 2012
PubMed

Insights

A written asthma action plan (WAAP) did not significantly reduce unscheduled doctor visits or improve asthma control and quality of life in children with asthma over a 9-month period.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children.
  • Effective asthma management is crucial for improving health outcomes and quality of life.
  • Written asthma action plans (WAAP) are a recommended tool for asthma self-management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of a written asthma action plan (WAAP) on unscheduled doctor visits, asthma control, and quality of life in children with asthma.
  • To compare the effectiveness of WAAP versus verbal counseling in managing childhood asthma.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled, single-blinded study involving 80 children with asthma.
  • Participants were assigned to either receive a WAAP or verbal counseling.
  • Outcomes including unscheduled doctor visits, asthma control, and quality of life were monitored over 9 months.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference was observed in the number of unscheduled doctor visits between the WAAP group and the verbal counseling group (p=0.352).
  • Asthma control and quality of life showed no significant improvement in the WAAP group compared to the control group.
  • The study found no statistically significant benefits of WAAP over verbal counseling for the evaluated outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • A written asthma action plan (WAAP) did not demonstrate a significant impact on reducing unscheduled doctor visits in children with asthma.
  • Implementing WAAP did not lead to significant improvements in asthma control or quality of life for pediatric patients.
  • Current evidence suggests WAAP may not be superior to verbal counseling for managing childhood asthma across all severities.

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