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Design and implementation of a patient education center for the Childhood Asthma Management Program. Childhood Asthma
Insights
This study developed asthma education materials for the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) to improve pediatric asthma control. These standardized, readily available materials support self-management and can be used in clinical settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Health Education
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Asthma management in children requires effective patient education.
- The Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) is a comprehensive clinical trial evaluating asthma treatment strategies.
- Standardized educational materials are crucial for consistent trial implementation and participant adherence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, develop, and distribute asthma education materials for the CAMP trial.
- To support consistent protocol implementation, medication adherence, and participant retention.
- To enhance asthma control and lung development in children.
Main Methods:
- A dedicated Patient Education Center (PEC) was established.
- The PEC designed CAMP-specific educational materials (handouts, handbooks, videos) and training manuals.
- Materials focused on asthma self-management principles: problem anticipation, response determination, and behavioral practice.
Main Results:
- Developed comprehensive, standardized asthma education materials tailored for the CAMP trial.
- Provided support to clinical center coordinators for consistent material distribution and participant engagement.
- Materials addressed various aspects of asthma care, including therapy, monitoring, and exacerbation management.
Conclusions:
- Asthma patient education is vital for successful treatment and must be integrated into routine care.
- The developed CAMP education materials are available nationally.
- These materials can be utilized in practice settings and future clinical research for pediatric asthma education.
Objectives:
To design, develop, and distribute asthma education materials relevant to the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP), a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute sponsored comprehensive clinical trial. This trial is designed to evaluate the relative efficacy of three treatment strategies on asthma control, and lung growth and development in children with asthma.
Approach:
A Patient Education Center (PEC) was established to prepare CAMP-specific asthma educational materials that would promote consistent implementation of the CAMP protocol, adherence to study medications and record keeping requirements and retention in the trial. The PEC has the responsibility to design the asthma education program and to provide support to the study clinical center coordinators/educators who maintain direct and ongoing contact with the participants.
Participants:
A total of 1,041 children with asthma age 5 through 12 years were enrolled in the trial between November 1993 and September 1995 at 8 clinical centers.
Process:
The three major tenets of self-management were highlighted in the CAMP patient education program: anticipate problems before they arise, determine the appropriate responses, and rehearse and practice behaviors that are effective solutions. CAMP education was standardized across centers to provide consistency in the implementation of the protocol. The program was structured to be comprehensive in order to address the various issues encountered by the participants and their caretakers, including background information on asthma and asthma therapy, instructions on following the study protocol (taking medication and monitoring symptoms and peak flow), and clear steps for handling asthma exacerbations. Materials were prepared in the form of handouts, handbooks, and videos. Instructional manuals were also prepared on the use of these materials for the nurse coordinators at each clinical center.
Conclusions:
The CAMP approach to asthma education was planned with the realization that patient education is essential to successful treatment and must be fully integrated into the patient's routine care. The CAMP education materials are readily available in a national repository and could be used for asthma education programs in a practice setting or another clinical research effort.