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Increasing Availability to and Ascertaining Value of Asthma Action Plans in Schools Through Use of Technology and Community Collaboration
Author(s) -
Hanson Tabitha K.,
Aleman Martha,
Hart Lacey,
Yawn Barbara
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.12110
Subject(s) - asthma , action plan , medicine , school nursing , asthma management , family medicine , nursing , health care , school nurse , medical education , economics , biology , economic growth , ecology
BACKGROUND Approximately 9% of school‐aged children in the United States have asthma. Since 1997, the Asthma Action Plan ( AAP ) has been recommended as an asthma self‐management tool for individuals with asthma. In the school setting, the use of the AAP has been primarily dependent on communication between the family and the school through a paper process. METHODS To address the limited availability of AAPs , the Southeast Minnesota Beacon Project developed and implemented a secure portal designed for the electronic exchange of the AAP between providers and schools. This project was designed to assess school nurses' responses to the portal and the perceived value of AAPs , efficiency, self‐efficacy, and project impact. RESULTS School nurses perceive that the AAP enables more efficient management of the care of students with asthma and increases school nurse self‐efficacy in regard to asthma management. Overall, school nurses felt the AAP portal was useful and they reported satisfaction with its function as a school health office resource. CONCLUSION Electronic sharing of the AAP has the potential to increase efficiency and enhance effective communication among health care providers, families, and schools.