Efficacy of a Minimal Intervention Educational Program in the Asthma Control and Exacerbations Prevention

Asthma

Educational asthma program, Clusters analysis study, Asthma Control Test

The asthma clinical practice guidelines categorize with the highest evidence level the effectiveness of educational programs. However, health care professionals not regularly applied it. This may contribute to inadequate control of the disease. Consequently, their designs and implementation strategies should be reviewed. Hypothesis. An asthma educational program based on a limited intervention, managed by professionals with minimal training in education, could provide a significant decrease in the morbidity of the disease. Objective. Determine the effectiveness, in terms of prevention of exacerbations (future risk) and improved asthma control (current control) of an educational program based on a reduced or minimal intervention.

Method. A prospective, multicentre, centre randomized (clusters analysis), controlled, designed to evaluate the efficacy (reduction of exacerbations) and control degree control (increased ACT score) of an asthma educational program based on a limited intervention in patients with mild to moderate persistent asthma with an ACT \<20. The cases included will be distributed into three arms: the intervention group, who will take the limited educational asthma program; clinical practice group, who will not receive any specific education; and education gold standard group, which will receive a formal program of structured and individualized education. 250 cases will be including from 25 Spanish centres (pulmonary and primary care): 10 allocated to the intervention group, 10 clinical practice group, and 5 of the gold standard group. Each centre will enrol 10 patients and will be followed for a year in four programmed visits. At baseline and at follow-up visits, will be collected in each patient: ACT score, the number of emergency room visits, unscheduled visits, hospital admissions, cycles of oral prednisone (\> 15 days), compliance level, spirometric values and daily dose of inhaled corticosteroid (microg. or equivalent per day). Patients in the intervention group will receive the limited educational asthma program, which have three parts: basic information, establishment and revision of a small Action Plan (MiniPlan) and training and review of the inhalation skill of the prescribed device. Educators involved will attend a short workshop (6 h), where they will be trained in the program.

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Spain