Recorded presentation

Ann M. Dozier, RN, PhD, Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, University of Rochester, Box 324, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, 585-273-2592, ann_dozier@urmc.rochester.edu and C. Andrew Aligne, MD MPH, Finger Lakes Regional Community Asthma Network, 1595 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620.

Background: Parental perceptions of children’s asthma control can be a proxy for their understanding of asthma. National asthma guidelines equate control to low/no utilization of urgent care and/or rescue medications, absent signs/ symptoms and no missed school or restricted activity. One question is whether parents have a similar understanding.

Methods. A telephone survey of over 350 urban school district parents funded by a local community asthma network, sought to establish a baseline to assess the collective impact of programs to improve the management of children with asthma. Questions ranged the child’s use of emergency services to school absence to types of medications taken, asthma control and household characteristics.

Results. 90% of respondents indicated that the child was well or completely controlled. This striking extent of control contrasted sharply with other data: emergency room visit (26%); awakened during night (35%); restricted exercise (43%); and over 50% had missed school, experienced asthma symptoms, made an unscheduled office visit, or used an inhaler for symptoms. Analyses examined the relationship between asthma symptoms and perception of asthma control. Over 40% of those reporting good control still used the rescue inhaler for symptoms, experienced symptoms and missed school and approximately 30% had an unscheduled doctor's office visit.

Conclusions. In this survey, parents of children with asthma thought their children's asthma was under good control despite high asthma-related morbidity. This discrepancy may contribute to underutilization of effective asthma treatments, and suggests a need for increased public awareness of the possibility of living symptom-free with asthma.

Learning Objectives:

• 1- learn about using data to track community asthma network impact
• 2 - identify challenges in interpreting asthma survey data

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation