Validating a Patient-Reported Outcome Measure to Improve Emergency Department Asthma Care: Protocol for an...

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine
• Health Outcomes Research

Background:

• Asthma impacts 1 in 12 US individuals, leading to 1.9 million annual emergency department (ED) visits.
• A lack of validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) hinders the evaluation of interventions for improving ED asthma care.
• This study addresses the need for reliable PROMs in the ED setting for acute asthma exacerbations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Patient Reported Outcomes for Acute Asthma Care and Treatment (PROAACT) instrument.
• To assess if guideline-concordant ED care correlates with improved PROAACT responses.
• To evaluate the link between PROAACT scores and subsequent ED revisits and hospitalizations.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study involving adult patients with acute asthma exacerbation across three urban EDs.
• Participants complete initial PROM surveys during ED visits and follow-up surveys 7 days post-discharge.
• Item response theory will be used to develop scale responses for analyzing associations with clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

• Recruitment is ongoing, with over 250 participants enrolled and over 200 follow-ups completed.
• Challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted recruitment timelines.
• Recruitment is anticipated to conclude in spring 2025.

Conclusions:

• This study aims to validate PROMs for adult patients experiencing acute asthma exacerbations in the ED.
• Successful completion will yield one of the first PROMs designed for adult ED patients.
• The findings will support the feasibility of collecting PROMs within the ED environment.