Asthma%20(pediatric) Patient Education
Patient Education
- Includes skills training, symptom monitoring, and a written personal asthma action plan
- Aims to actively involve the children, their families and caregivers in managing asthma
- Education should be provided over several visits
- Studies have shown that asthma control is improved with the use of written asthma management plan together with careful verbal explanation of the treatment regimen
- Develop patient/doctor partnership
- Objective is to give patients the ability to control their asthma with guidance from health care professionals
- The patient, parents and caregivers should be able to apply the following objectives
- Avoid triggers and aggravating factors
- Take medications accurately and appropriately
- Understand the difference between “controller” and “reliever” medications
- Train about correct inhalation technique
- Monitor asthma control status
- Recognize signs of worsening asthma and take appropriate action
- Seek medical help when necessary
Written Asthma Action Plan
- May help patients and patient's parents/guardian/caregiver recognize and respond appropriately to an asthma attack
- Should include specific, individualized instructions about medications and medical care access
- Changes to medications may include the following:
- Increasing as-needed inhaled low-dose corticosteroid-Formoterol doses
- The use of an inhaler containing rapid-onset long-acting beta2-agonist with low-dose corticosteroid
- Other inhaled corticosteroids and inhaled corticosteroid-long-acting beta2-agonist maintenance controlled regimens
- A short-course oral corticosteroids for patients unresponsive to increased doses of reliever and controller medications, rapid deterioration, PEF or FEV1 <60% of personal best, or a history of sudden severe exacerbations