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Hawaii Child Asthma Research to Elevate Standards (Hawaii CARES)

An Effective Practice

This practice has been Archived and is no longer maintained.

Description

Hawaii Child Asthma Research to Elevate Standards (Hawaii CARES) is an emergency department (ED) based asthma intervention. The program is implemented in four medical institutions and tracks ED asthma patients systematically, provides asthma education to patients and families, and educates ED staff and community-based health care providers about asthma management. The intervention emphasizes the importance of asthma action plans and long-term control medications, and provides instruction in inhaler use. Patients leave the ED with a short-term action plan and recommendation to follow up with their primary care doctor; information regarding the visit is faxed to the patient’s primary care provider.

Goal / Mission

The goal of Hawaii CARES is to bring the way asthma is treated in the state up to compliance with national guidelines.

Results / Accomplishments

Hawaii CARES has reached thousands of children and families through 182 hospital staff members and 374 primary care physicians trained through provider education sessions. The project enrolled 910 asthma patients. At the time of their emergency department encounter 18% of patients were using controller medication, after the educational intervention the number increased to 43%. There was a 570 percent increase in the number of patients with a written asthma action plan at discharge. A majority of patients had a follow-up appointment with a primary care provider, and the number of patients with persistent asthma decreased during the three-month follow-up period.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women and Children
Primary Contact
Rodney Boychuk, M.D., Project Director
Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children
1319 Punahou Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96826
(808) 983-8639
rodb@kapiolani.org
http://asthmahawaii.com/?p=178
Topics
Health / Children's Health
Health / Respiratory Diseases
Health / Health Care Access & Quality
Organization(s)
Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women and Children
Source
PediatricAsthma.org
Date of publication
2006
Date of implementation
2002
Location
Honolulu, HI
For more details
Target Audience
Children