Family Learning on Asthma Topics

I. Hypotheses and Specific Aims:

1. Hypothesis: The Family Learning on Asthma Topics (F.L.O.A.T) in the form of a a group teaching environment for family education stemming from standardized education materials on asthma, created and taught by nationally certified asthma educators will promote optimal asthma knowledge, management and quality of life among the individuals with asthma and their caregivers.
2. Aim 1: To determine if the availability of educational services outside of regular clinic hours or admission status could improve asthma outcomes and decrease unnecessary medical utilization.
3. Aim 2: By providing small-group learning environments for families, the investigators aim to encourage families to learn from each other's experiences and to decrease stigma around the disease.

II. Background and Significance:

Despite recent improvements in treatment and the ongoing research in better understanding of the disease, emergency room visits and hospitalization rates for asthma remain high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance data reports that at a national level, health care use for emergency department services for asthma was 1.6 million in 2013, and that of 439,435 hospital admissions for asthma 136,669 or 31% are for children below the age of 18 years of age. The annual cost of asthma on the U.S. economy equates to more than $80 billion in medical expenses, including days missed from school, work and even death. Nurmagambetov, et.al. in their study state that the "combined costs of medical care, mortality, and absenteeism render the total cost of asthma a substantial and serious economic burden on society. These findings highlight the critical need to support and further strengthen asthma control strategies through increased provision of guideline-based care, improvements in self-management, and reduction of environmental asthma triggers to reduce ER visits, hospitalizations, absenteeism, and mortality".

Bäuerle et al. used a prospective single-center controlled trial to show that by providing motivating and patient-oriented didactics on asthma, there is a statistically significant increase in asthma health outcomes and that asthma control can be improved by education measures. Although it is a key component of all international asthma guidelines, education in self-management is still insufficiently available in primary care settings. In the ambulatory setting, there are some families that require more extensive education and time is limited in a usual care appointment to address all their specific asthma needs.