Asthma
The core components of asthma focus on reducing impairment and reducing risk of future asthma attacks. Telehealth is a valuable option to regularly evaluate asthma control, evaluate current medications and adherence, as well as addressing and minimizing triggers.
Suggested format for visit:
- Identify patient/parent’s questions, concerns
- Assess asthma severity and/or control
- Review medications
- What’s being used and how? This is an opportunity to have the patient demonstrate taking their medications during the video visit.
- Confirm spacer use and technique
- Send necessary refills
- Complete an Asthma Action Plan to send to family and share with school
- Confirm immunizations (particularly influenza vaccine up to date)
- Schedule follow up
Timing of follow up:
- Every 2-6 weeks after new diagnosis or acute exacerbation to gain control
- Every 1-6 months to monitor control
- Every 3 months if a step down in therapy is anticipated
Resources for families:
- CDC Asthma resources for children: https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/children.htm
- American Academy of Pediatrics, “Taking Care of Your Child’s Asthma” https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/medicalhome_taking_care_child_asthma.pdf
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: https://www.aafa.org/asthma.aspx
- Healthy Children.org on Allergies & Asthma: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/allergies-asthma/Pages/default.aspx
References:
- Link to Asthma Care Quick Reference Guide: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/guidelines/asthma_qrg.pdf
- Patel, Shilpa J., and Stephen J. Teach. “Asthma.” Pediatrics in Review40, no. 11 (November 2019): 549–67. https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2018-0282.
By: Pooja Kakar, MD
Last updated: January 2021