Multidisciplinary education and management program for children with asthma.

A multidisciplinary program for managing asthma in a pediatric population is discussed. A coordinated, multidisciplinary program for managing asthma in children was initiated in November 1997 at a U.S. Army medical center. The program, designed to improve care and decrease hospitalizations for asthma, was pharmacist managed and pulmonologist directed and was implemented by pediatricians. Patient education was provided by a pediatric clinical pharmacist or a nurse case manager; providers also received intensive education. Follow-up occurred at predetermined intervals and included asthma education, discussion of expectations and goals, analysis of metered-dose-inhaler and spacer technique, and assessment of compliance. Between November 1997 and January 1999, 210 inpatients were screened for asthma. One hundred seven were believed to have asthma and received inpatient asthma counseling and teaching. Of these 107 patients, 79 were enrolled in the program and monitored in the ambulatory care setting. Seventy-one (90%) of the 79 program enrollees were not rehospitalized during the ensuing two years. The number of children admitted to the hospital for asthma decreased from 147 in 1997 (a rate of 3.2 per 1000 population) to 93 in 1998 (2.1 per 1000) and to 87 in 1999 (1.9 per 1000). A multidisciplinary approach to the management of children with asthma may reduce hospitalizations of such patients.     

Strategies to Reduce HIV Risk Behavior in HIV Primary Care Clinics: Brief Provider Messages and Specialist Intervention

Reducing HIV transmission is a critical goal worldwide, prompting new strategies to slow the spread of the virus. This paper describes the theoretical underpinnings of the Comprehensive Harm Reduction Protocol (CHRP) and the process of its implementation in one large urban HIV clinic and two smaller rural primary care clinics. Patients enrolled in CHRP complete the Risk Diagnostic Questionnaire (RDQ), self-reporting HIV transmission risk behavior at most clinic visits. Clinicians review RDQs to trigger dialogue using motivational interviewing and the stages of health behavior change to reduce high-risk behaviors (drug use, alcohol use, or high-risk sexual behavior). In the ongoing evaluation study, CHRP patients receive two provider-only visits before being randomized to continue with provider brief prevention messages only or to receive additional intensive counseling with a risk-reduction specialist following the provider visit. If outcome data support one or both interventions, CHRP could be a useful model for widespread adoption. Observations from the implementation of this protocol are presented in order to facilitate the adoption of this protocol in interested clinics. Later, results of the evaluation of the implementation of the protocol may have value in developing prevention policy in HIV treatment clinics.