Project BREATHE: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

INTRODUCTION

Asthma is the most common chronic illness in pediatrics, placing a significant burden on patients and the healthcare system. The lack of standardization in screening, diagnosis, and treatment remains a key challenge in pediatric asthma management. This project used the Project BREATHE toolkit, supplied through the New York State Department of Health, to implement a care process for children with asthma receiving care at our institution. Our primary objective was to enhance asthma care through a quality improvement framework to optimize outcomes and reduce healthcare usage.

METHODS

Following identifying key drivers contributing to suboptimal asthma care in our region, our transdisciplinary team developed a standardized asthma care process. From July 2020 to June 2021, the process was systematically applied to all patients admitted with a diagnosis of asthma. Control charts were reviewed monthly to assess adherence and uptake of care process components, facilitating continuous quality improvement and data-driven modifications.

RESULTS

Following implementation, inhaled corticosteroid prescriptions increased from 50% to 81%, whereas subspecialist consults rose from 8.3% to 77%. The proportion of patients receiving asthma severity assessments ranged from 71% to 90%, and the rates of asthma education fluctuated from 50% to 89%. Additionally, the rate of emergency department visits declined from 5.2% to 4.7% and hospitalizations from 12.7% to 10.1% following implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementing a transdisciplinary asthma care process resulted in sustained improvements in asthma management and reduced asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations. These findings highlight the effectiveness of a structured, team-based approach in optimizing pediatric asthma care.