This study examined whether the Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument for the Emergency Department (PACCI-ED), a 12-item questionnaire, can help doctors in the emergency department accurately assess a child's asthma control.

This study involved an intervention with the doctors in the emergency department of an urban pediatric hospital. The intervention was done when one of the doctors involved in the study treated a child aged 1-17 years for an asthma exacerbation. Parents answered questions on the PACCI-ED about their children's asthma. Half of the doctors were allowed to see the PACCI-ED results and half were not. The two groups of doctors were compared on their ability to correctly identify asthma control categories, whether a child's asthma was worsening or improving, whether the family was administering controller medications as often as they should, and how much burden the child's asthma was for the family.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Child presented to study institution emergency department during study period
• Child was 1 - 17 years-old
• Child has physician-diagnosed asthma by parent report
• Attending physician for child believed emergency department visit was due to asthma
• Attending physician for child completed informed consent and was randomized to PACCI-ED or control group at beginning of study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Child has major pulmonary or cardiac co-morbid illness
• Family of child was non-English speaking
• Child was triaged to the med-trauma bay for severe respiratory distress