Background of the problem
Childhood asthma is among the major widespread chronic illnesses affecting the pediatric population. According to CDC, about 6.3 million children in the United States have asthma (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Essentially, childhood asthma is mainly characterized by the inflammation of the lungs as well as the airways due to exposure of children to certain triggers that include respiratory infections and inhaling of airborne pollen. Pediatric asthma is associated with various bothersome symptoms that usually interfere with engagement of children in the daily activities such as sports, school and play. In addition, asthma contributes to incidences of school absenteeism among children and is associated with an increase in the childhood mortality and morbidity rates as well as hospitalization rates (Walter et al., 2015). Moreover, poor management of asthma may result to asthma attacks that life-threatening to children. In regard to this, self-management of asthma helps to prevent exacerbations, maintain the usual activity level and attain normal functioning of the lungs. Thus, developing appropriate asthma education programs that incorporate self-monitoring and self-management behaviors as well as self-efficacy is an effective strategy that can help in optimal management of the disease and promote the engagement of children in the normal daily activities.
As such, in order to effectively evaluate the impact and relevance of the intervention (education that involves self-monitoring, self-management behaviors, and self-efficacy as well as education programs), it is important to identify and involve the key stakeholders/change agents who are affected or may benefit from the intervention. In relation to this, pediatric patients, healthcare organizations, nursing students, healthcare agencies are among the key stakeholders or change agents affected or concerned with the intervention. Thus, involving all the concerned and affected parties helps the investigator to evaluate the relevance as well as impact of the intervention among pediatric patient, populations and the entire healthcare system (Walter et al., 2015). Moreover, involving all key stakeholders and change agents helps in identifying the relevant changes that can be used made on the intervention so as to enhance its effectiveness in promoting optimal asthma management among pediatric patients.
PICOT question
“For pediatric asthma patients does education that involves self-monitoring, self-management behaviors, and self-efficacy as well as health promotion for asthma as compared to the usual education programs help in optimal management of asthma”
Thus, the EBP project will focus on evaluating the effectiveness of education that involves self-monitoring, self-management behaviors as well as health promotion for asthma in regard to improving asthma management among pediatric patients, reducing exacerbations of the disease and preventing asthma attacks. In the light of this, evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention is an important aspect especially in nursing practice since it helps nurse to develop the suitable and essential interventions that can be used in the management as well as prevention of childhood asthma (Rasberry et al., 2014). In addition, assisting pediatric patients in achieving optimal control of the disease helps in preventing exacerbations of the disease and minimizes hospitalization rates of pediatric asthma patients. Subsequently, this assists in reducing the amount of healthcare expenditures that are incurred in providing care to pediatric asthma patients whereby this helps to reduce the nurses’ workload and fosters the provision of healthcare services to other patients (Rasberry et al., 2014). More importantly, assisting pediatric asthma patients in achieving optimal management of the disease helps in reducing childhood mortality as well as morbidity rates and improves the outcomes and health of these patients.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). FastStats - Asthma. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm
Rasberry, C. N., Cheung, K., Buckley, R., Dunville, R., Daniels, B., Cook, D., & Dean, B. (2014). Indicators of asthma control among students in a rural, school-based asthma management program. Journal of Asthma, 51(8), 876-885.
Walter, H., Sadeque-Iqbal, F., Ulysse, R., Castillo, D., Fitzpatrick, A., & Singleton, J. (2015). The effectiveness of school-based family asthma educational programs on the quality of life and number of asthma exacerbations of children aged five to 18 years diagnosed with asthma: a systematic review protocol. The JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, 13(10), 69-81.
