The Asthma Management Program as a Predictor of Emergency Room Visits and Hospitalizations at David Grant USAF Medical Center

The purpose of this non-randomized retrospective study of the population 0-30 years of age was to see the impact of the David Grant Medical Center asthma management program on the number of ER visits and hospitalizations for asthma and asthma related causes. Data collection was conducted in two phases to insure the database included at least 12 months of follow-up data from the initial class date. The investigator developed two linear regression models with ER visits and hospitalizations as outcome variables and age, gender, rank of sponsor, and level of participation as the predictor variables. In the ER model, only the participation variable was statistically significant with a p .0001 and an R-square of .20. Results indicate greater participation in the program is related to fewer number of ER visits and hospitalizations for asthma. Disease management initiatives, such as the DGMC asthma management program should become the primary design of care delivery to improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost associated with ER visits and hospitalizations.