Shared medical appointments for pediatric asthma

5^th International Conference on Family Nursing

June 13-15, 2016 Philadelphia, USA

Casey McGinnis

University of San Diego, USA

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Project Purpose: To implement a shared medical appointment (SMA) for pediatric patients with asthma in order to improve adherence to asthma management guidelines and increase access to asthma related care. Background: Current asthma care can be inconsistent due to providers� variable approaches to asthma diagnosis and management guidelines. This variability is often a result of time and cost constraints. An approach to overcome these constraints and to increase adherence to guidelines is the SMA. The SMA is a medical appointment carried out with a group of consenting patients and their caregivers by a provider and other health professionals. SMAs are typically designed as 90-minute medical appointments in which 4 to 9 patients and their parents are seen in a group setting. This type of appointment allows both the provider and the patient to bridge a gap between individual appointments, which frequently lack the time needed for detailed education. Practice Change: The practice change involved developing and implementing a primary care based SMA for children with asthma. Providers identified patients who would benefit from the SMA during routine visits. Educational resources compiled for patient teaching. During the SMA patients were provided with appropriate spirometry, an asthma action plan, and medication teaching, and refills. Results & Outcomes: Outcomes indicated improved adherence to guidelines, and increased patient knowledge regarding asthma. Additionally, results indicate high patient satisfaction. Implications & Conclusions: The SMA provides an efficient method for improving access to care. This process also demonstrates an important utilization of nurse practitioners.

Biography :

Email: caseymcginnis@sandiego.edu