RLHPF Confrence Booklet 2020 Final - Flipbook - Page 1
Katrina Leong | Azusa Pacific University
Arcadia
Pediatric
Medical
Group
Health Policy and Air Pollution: An Application for a
Pediatric Asthma Program in Southern California
Katrina Leong, FNP-C, PHN, Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellow, Azusa Pacific University
Preceptor: Teresa Dodd-Butera, PhD, RN/DABAT
Problem: Based on Healthy People 2020 - majority of asthma patients in America were not receiving
appropriate asthma care based on the NHLBI National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
asthma guidelines (USDHHS, 2020)
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Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood (Hay et al., 2014)
Affects > 7 million children each year in US (CDC, 2011)
– This number continues to grow despite current treatments (CDC, 2011)
Asthma care in US has cost $272 million in one year (Pearson, Goates, Harrykissoon, & Miller,
2014)
Other costs difficult to measure (Hay, Levin, Deterding, & Abzug, 2014)
– Loss of childhood productivity due to missed school days
– Loss of parent productivity due to lost work days
Figure 1. Despite effective treatments
and interventions for asthma, rates of
asthma in all ages continue to increase
each year (CDC, 2011)
Figure 2. This image illustrates what happens in
the lungs in an individual with asthma. The
airways in the lungs become swollen, muscles
become tight, and mucus build-up occurs. The
airways are also very sensitive and easily react
when you are exposed to your asthma trigger
(Burns et al., 2017)
Individual: The immediate needs of the pediatric asthma patient are met to promote asthma control
and improve quality of life through policy and protocol development and implementation in the clinic
setting.
• The asthma policy and protocol project ensures that healthcare providers treat asthma patients
based on proven and effective evidence for asthma management in order to improve asthma
control and keep patients out of the hospital.
Community: Findings of policy and protocol are shared and presented to other providers and leaders in
the community to influence and improve asthma care for asthmatic patients in neighboring
communities.
• Information about common factors of asthma control such as seasonal infections and allergies,
air quality, and cultural influences can benefit these neighboring asthma communities.
Systems: The impact of big picture issues such as respiratory infection control via vaccination during flu
season or air quality concerns can be addressed from a large systems perspective.
• Change makers can carry this project forward and affect air quality and pollution policies that
extend from the community to the state and national levels.
References:
Burns, C., Dunn, A., Brady, M., Starr, N., Blosser, C., & Garzon, D., (2017). Pediatric Primary Care: A
Handbook for Nurse Practitioners, (5th Ed). Philadelphia: Elsevier.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Asthma in the US. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/asthma/index.html
Hay, W. W., Levin, M. J., Deterding, R. R., & Abzug, M. J. (2014). Current pediatric diagnosis & treatment.
New York: McGraw-Hill Medical.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. (2007). Population-Based Public Health Nursing
Practice. Retrieved from http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phn/docs/Level%20of%20Care.pdf
Pearson, W. S., Goates, S. A., Harrykissoon, S. D., & Miller, S. A. (2014). State-based Medicaid costs for
pediatric asthma emergency department visits. Preventing Chronic Disease, 11, 1-8.
doi:10.5888/pcd11.140139
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Respiratory Diseases. Retrieved from
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/respiratory-diseases/objectives
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to apply an evidence-based program and process for asthma
management, considering environmental health policies and triggers, at a pediatric clinic in Los Angeles
County. This project will address the following question: In a pediatric clinic, how does utilization of a
gap and policy analysis promote evidence-based practice for asthma management over a three-month
period of intervention with healthcare providers?
42 | Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship
Randall Lewis Health Policy Fellowship | 43