Office-Based Asthma Screening Intervention

Office-Based Asthma Screening Intervention

In prior work, we found that even children who have been seen by their physicians within the prior six months were frequently misclassified as having mild rather than persistent asthma. This study evaluations whether systematic office-based screening assists primary care physicians in identifying children with significant asthma and improves preventive care for asthma. We hypothesize that standardized screening in the office setting will improve the physician's ability to (a) identify children with significant asthma and (b) prescribe appropriate preventive medications.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children ages 2-12
• Children arriving for an office visit in two Rochester, NY pediatric clinics
• Children with a prior diagnosis of asthma AND an exacerbation of symptoms within the previous 2 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children arriving at the office visit with an adult that is not their parent or guardian
• Children arriving at the office visit with a parent or guardian that does not speak English
• Children with other medical conditions making the assessment of asthma severity difficult (cystic fibrosis, heart conditions, etc.)