This project proposes to 1) develop, implement and evaluate an Education/Self-Management Program (SMP) for asthmatic patients and, 2) develop an education and information dissemination Community Program (CP) for health care professionals and for the community of Western New York within the Allergy Division of the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, State University of New Yorkd at Buffalo. For the SMP, the hypotheses to be tested are that there will be: 1) increased knowledge about asthma, 2) improved compliance with asthma therapy, 3) altered cognitive perception of control over one's health to a more internal direction, 4) acquired self-management skills in order to: a) prevent/aviod acute episodes, b) abort/control subacute episodes to pervent them from becoming severe, 5) decreased morbidity associated with asthma by a) increasing participation in activities/hobbies, and b) reducing disability days and, 6) reduced total cost fo asthma care. Education and self-management sessions will take place during the Buffalo General Hospital's Allergy Clinic. Patients seeking care at the clinic will be enrolled sequentially into the program. In addition, monthly evening seminars will be held. The short-term evaluation will consist of Knowledge Questionnaires & the Health Locus of Control Test administered pre and post; the long-term evaluation will consist of outcome variables recorded on monthly diaries. For the CP, the hypotheses are that, for the groups addressed, there will be 1) an increase in knowledge about asthma, 2) an improved understanding of the importance of self-management/compliance in asthma therapy, 3) an improved understanding of how to develop self-management skills, and 4) an improved awareness of community resources for asthmatics. The evaluation of the CP will consist mainly of pre/post questionnaires and follow up surveys. The long-term objectives are that the acquisition of self-management skills will benefit the participants by reducing morbidity and costs to individuals and the community. The coordinated efforts of the medical and social science disciplines will provide a comprehensive approach to the care of the asthmatic.
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| Hindi-Alexander, M C (1985) Decision making in asthma self-management. Chest 87:100S-104S |
