Objective: The objective was to determine whether a pediatric asthma disease management program (ADMP) provided by respiratory therapists can improve patient outcomes and reduce cost.
Design: This was a pre-and post-intervention observational study.
Methods: Hospitalizations, non-intensive care unit (ICU) hospital days, ICU days, emergency department visits, doctor's office visits, school days missed, and associated costs were collected on 18 children with moderate to severe asthma, ages 3 to 18 years, 12 months before and after implementation of the ADMP. The ADMP consisted of eight home visits for assessment, environmental review, and patient education.
Results: There were significant reductions (P < .05) in hospitalizations, hospitalization cost, ICU days, non-ICU days, length of stay, emergency department visits and cost, physician office visits and cost, and school days missed.
Conclusions: A pediatric in-home ADMP provided by respiratory therapists can improve outcomes and reduce cost in patients with moderate to severe asthma.