Development of a Tool to Evaluate Asthma Preparedness and Management in Child-Care Centers

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Child Care Health
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Asthma is a prevalent condition among children attending child-care centers.
• National guidelines exist for creating asthma-friendly child-care settings.
• There is a lack of research assessing child-care center adherence to these asthma recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel instrument to evaluate child-care centers' capacity to meet national asthma recommendations.
• To create a comprehensive tool for identifying areas for improvement in pediatric asthma care within child-care settings.

Main Methods:

• The Preparing for Asthma in Child Care (PACC) Instrument was developed using existing recommendations, literature review, site visits, and expert interviews.
• The instrument comprises 43 items across seven domains: smoking exposure, medical consultant and policies, ventilation and triggers, medication access, asthma action plans, staff training, and physical activity.
• Pilot testing of the PACC Instrument was conducted at 36 child-care centers in San Francisco.

Main Results:

• The PACC Instrument is an evidence-based tool designed to assess adherence to asthma guidelines in child care.
• It covers key areas crucial for managing asthma in young children.
• Pilot testing confirmed its applicability in real-world child-care environments.

Conclusions:

• The PACC Instrument provides a comprehensive and evidence-based method for evaluating asthma care in child-care centers.
• It can identify specific areas needing improvement to enhance asthma management for children.
• This tool supports the goal of creating safer and healthier child-care environments for children with asthma.