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Abstract
To objective of this project was to reduce unplanned hospital admission rates in children related to asthma to the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals National Health Service Trust (NUTH).
Multiple educational interventions were introduced both locally and regionally including: a collection of educational materials aimed at young people and families, schools, primary care and secondary care on the website www.beatasthma.co.uk; regional training days; a nurse-led one-stop clinic; a new pathway following an acute attendance to hospital with an asthma attack; a local asthma service and cascade training for schools.
The primary outcome measure was reduction in unplanned hospital admission rates in children due to asthma to the NUTH.
Results showed that admission rates had been increasing at a sustained rate of approximately 30% each year in the 3 years prior to our intervention. After the Beating Regional Asthma Through Health Education interventions, unplanned admissions to NUTH reduced by 29% and this reduction has been sustained for the last 3 years. This compares with a regional increase of 10% over the same time period.
In conclusion, simple but effective educational interventions resulted in a significant and sustained reduction in unplanned asthma admissions to NUTH. Further work is underway to extend the reach of these interventions into primary care and schools.
- adolescent health
- information technology
Data availability statement
Data are available upon reasonable request. The authors agree to make available the relevant anonymised patient-level data.
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Data availability statement
Data are available upon reasonable request. The authors agree to make available the relevant anonymised patient-level data.
Footnotes
Contributors JKT led the design, delivery, analysis and write-up of the project. SH, RL, PD, MM and SM contributed to the design, delivery, analysis and write-up of the project.
Funding The study received a one-off charitable donation from the Children’s Foundation Charity for the build of the website. One day per week nursing time was provided by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust for 1 year.
Competing interests JKT is a subject matter advisor of the HSIB investigation into childhood asthma and an unpaid member of CYP Transformation Team Asthma oversight group, no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous 3 years. SM has received funding to speak at educational events from Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK, unrelated to this article, no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.