Regional paediatric asthma centre: An intervention model

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary paediatric asthma clinic in reducing the morbidity associated with paediatric asthma. METHODS: An initial survey of need was undertaken in the community of Orillia, Ontario and the surrounding area. The clinic was established as a separate entity from the adult model. The multidisciplinary nature of the clinic was a priority. The effectiveness of the clinic was assessed with patient/parent reports and objectively analyzed by assessing the frequency of asthma visits to the emergency room and hospital admissions. RESULTS: Comparison was undertaken between the first year and third year of clinic operation. The number of paediatric asthma visits to the emergency room was reduced by 20%. The number of paediatric asthma inpatient visits was reduced by 12%. At the same time, the number of paediatric asthma visits to the asthma clinic increased by 200%. CONCLUSIONS: This multidiscipline paediatric asthma clinic model is community friendly and reduces the morbidity of asthma as evidenced by declining visits to the emergency room.