An Interdisciplinary Education and Service Bundle to Reduce Hospital Resource Utilization and Decrease Pediatric Asthma-Related Morbidity and Mortality
The purpose of this quality improvement project was to reduce hospital resource utilization and improve health outcomes for children with asthma by providing an evidence-based, interdisciplinary education and service bundle to patients and families admitted to a Children’s Hospital in Northern New Jersey with a primary diagnosis of asthma. The 2020 Asthma Management Guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2020), the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and a modified systematic review identified common themes among children at risk for asthma-related morbidity and mortality and high hospital resource utilization. These themes included medication misuse, asthma trigger misidentification, lack of awareness of signs and symptoms of an asthma attack, modifiable and non-modifiable environmental risk factors, and social determinants of health. The literature also highlighted the importance of standardizing education provided to patients and families during their inpatient stay. Use of a bundle that incorporates standardized, evidence-based education and individualized care planning to address social determinants of health may help decrease hospital resource utilization and improve overall health outcomes for children with asthma
