The Breathe Well Program for Adults With Asthma

The Breathe Well Study is a pragmatic, controlled trial to assess the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and implementation of the Breathe Well intervention, which combines evidence-based EHR and interactive behavior-change technologies (IBCT) and team-based care to improve asthma outcomes.

Breathe Well uses the Kaiser Permanente Electronic Health Record (EHR) to identify asthma exacerbation risk factors. For patients with a history of frequent exacerbations or B-agonist overuse, the EHR notifies a nurse who uses an EHR-generated tailored clinical report and patient directed decision support tool to engage and empower patients to develop an action plan in collaboration with providers. EHR-templated notes and order sets facilitate care plan execution. Poor controller medication adherence or unaddressed smoking results in the patient being automatically enrolled in an IBCT medication refill or smoking cessation program. Breathe Well uses multiple EHR functions and a patient and provider team to address barriers to evidence-based asthma care for providers.The study will be conducted in 26 primary care clinics of Kaiser Permanente Colorado (KPCO) using a pragmatic clinical trial design. Up to 15,000 high-risk asthma patients will be assigned to Breathe Well or guideline-based usual care based on their clinic.

Participants were randomized to either 1) usual care or 2) IVR or 3) email. Those in the groups 2 or 3 will receive the intervention only if they smoke, underuse controller medication, or overuse rescue medication.

This is a pragmatic controlled trial. Participants randomized to the intervention group will know when they receive the intervention, which will consist of an automated contact by IVR call/text, or email.

For patients under filling their inhaled corticosteroid or overusing B-agonist, the patient is contacted via IVR call or text

Patients under filling their inhaled corticosteroid or overusing B-agonist, the the patient is contacted via email

Defined as number of urgent care visits, hospitalizations, or prescriptions of an oral corticosteroid

Inclusion Criteria: Adults with ≥1 EHR of these indicators of an asthma care gap in the EHR will be eligible. B-agonist overfilling inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) underfilling current smoker asthma exacerbation in the last year Exclusion Criteria: limited life expectancy diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease lack of a pharmacy benefit because medication use cannot be captured.

Cvietusa PJ, Wagner NM, Shoup JA, Goodrich GK, Shetterly SM, King DK, Raebel MA, Riggs CS, Bender B. Digital Communication Technology: Does Offering a Choice of Modality Improve Medication Adherence and Outcomes in a Persistent Asthma Population? Perm J. 2020 Dec;25:1. doi: 10.7812/TPP/20.189.