A Dallas-based asthma program that offers care coordination, telehealth and home assessments has reduced emergency department visits and inpatient admissions 70% over two years, the Children’s Hospital Association said Sept. 10.
For 25 years, Children’s Health has run an asthma management program. Enrolled children move through three- or six-month programs combining telehealth visits, education and care coordination.
Certified asthma educators review each child’s action plan and inhaler technique, and virtual home assessments flag environmental triggers a clinic visit might miss. A companion app, My Asthma Buddy, lets families track symptoms and get management guidance between visits.
A multidisciplinary team of respiratory therapists, nurses, social workers and certified asthma educators runs the program, with a separate high-risk team of pulmonologists and advanced practice providers. The program also trains school nurses and runs education at schools, recreation centers and back-to-school events.
“We provide services to folks in the community where they’re at. That makes all the difference,” said Folashade Afolabi, MD, medical director of the Asthma Management Program at Children’s Health and associate professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Children’s Health is one of just 11 U.S. organizations to earn Disease-Specific Care Certification for its work from the Joint Commission, according to the Children’s Hospital Association.
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