Comparing Asthma Action Plans for Pediatric Asthma

The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the relative effectiveness of two asthma action plans (pictorial versus written) in terms of asthma action plan knowledge, medication use, and family satisfaction with asthma education.

Asthma medical regimens are complex for families, requiring changes in the types and amounts of medication based on the frequency and intensity of symptoms. Written asthma action plans (AAP's) are commonly used to provide a set of instructions to help parents and children implement these complicated regimens. However, written AAP's require substantial literacy levels, so for younger children, low-literacy families, or non-English speaking families, a pictorial version of the AAP may be more understandable and useful. The study aims to validate a newly developed, fully pictorial AAP in terms of its relative impact on parent- and child-reported knowledge of the action plan, medication use, and parent- and child-reported satisfaction, when compared to a standard-care written AAP.

Inclusion Criteria: Children who are new patients Receive a diagnosis of persistent asthma Are in need of an asthma action plan Exclusion Criteria: Diagnosed with intermittent asthma An established patient who already has an asthma action plan Not English or Spanish speaking