The adaptation of written self‐management plans for children with asthma

milnes l . j . & callery p . (2003)   Journal of Advanced Nursing 41 (5), 444–453
 The adaptation of written self‐management plans for children with asthmaBackground.  Self‐management plans are an important element of asthma care. Although asthma is common in children, there is limited guidance for adaptation of self‐management plans for children. Aims.  A study was conducted in order to develop a set of criteria for adaptation of asthma self‐management plans for school aged children; and to use these criteria to review self‐management plans used in United Kingdom (UK) centres. Methods.  Self‐management plans were obtained by telephone survey (response rate: 81%) of 47 selected UK paediatric, respiratory and community centres during the period between March and October 2001. The content of self‐management plans was analysed according to criteria developed from a review of the literature, including objectives, opportunities for individualization, and the implied roles of parent and child in asthma management. Agreement was achieved between the authors and a third independent rater. Results.  The majority of centres (31 of 47) used or planned to use adapted self‐management plans while the remainder used the standard National Asthma Campaign self‐management plan. There were wide variations in self‐management plans, including variation in the person to whom plans were addressed, criteria for treatment and the objectives stated for self‐management. Few opportunities were provided for individualization of self‐management. Limitations.  The study was limited to the documents used in self‐management in selected centres. Conclusion.  The results suggest that many practitioners believe that self‐management education requires adaptation for children. There is little consistency in the adaptation of self‐management plans for children. Principles for devising adapted self‐management plans are proposed.