Journal of Advances In Allergy & Immunologic Diseases

ISSN: 2575-6184

Impact Factor: 0.431

VOLUME: 1 ISSUE: 1

Participation in Multidisciplinary Team Clinic Results in Improved Outcomes in Inner City Asthmatic Children


Co-Authors

Humaa Bhatti DO, Sahar Faghih DO, Pulin Patel MD, Pamela Britto-Williams MD, Kara Brooklier PhD, Rebecca Marocco MSW, Wafa Alame RN, Robert Thomas MD, Paul Muntzenberger MD, Jenny Montejo MD, Milind Pansare MD, Pavadee Poowuttikul MD, Elizabeth Secord MD

Citation

Humaa Bhatti, Participation in Multidisciplinary Team Clinic Results in Improved Outcomes in Inner City Asthmatic Children(2016)Journal Of Advances In Allergy & Immunologic Diseases 1(1)

Abstract

Background: Detroit has an unusually large population of high-risk asthmatic children with increased morbidity and mortality from asthma.

Objective: To determine efficacy of a multidisciplinary team clinic for improvement of asthma care in high risk inner-city asthmatic children.

Methods: After an initial survey, a multidisciplinary team (MDT) clinic was formed in an attempt to improve outcomes for high risk children with asthma in Detroit. The children were followed prospectively for one year after a one year retrospective chart review.

Results: A survey revealed that half of all children hospitalized for asthma who missed appointments for follow-up were not locatable within six months of the hospitalization. 126 families enrolled in the high risk clinic, and half completed six months of the study. There was significant decrease in the number of hospitalizations, ER visits and steroid bursts through MDT participation. There was significant improvement in the asthma knowledge questionnaire, except in regard to differentiation of controller versus rescue medication, i.e. despite one on one education sessions the families continued to identify beta-2-agonists as the medication that should be used daily to avoid attacks of asthma. Participation in the clinic program improved quality of life (QOL) scores for the children as their symptoms improved, but the same increase in QOL score was not seen for caregivers as their children’s symptoms improved.

Conclusions: Although the transiency of the population was a challenge to follow-up care, MDT clinic participation was associated with significant improvement in asthma outcomes.

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