School Asthma Screening and Case Management

Abstract

Asthma is related to school absenteeism and underperformance in elementary students. This pilot study assessed whether school nurse case management (CM) in children identified with asthma impacts academic performance and school absenteeism in one school. A validated questionnaire was used to identify children at risk for asthma and CM was provided to link these students to medical care and assure asthma action plans at school. In the 40 children with confirmed diagnosis who received CM, academic performance on standardized testing postintervention was similar to the 76 children who were low risk for asthma. Average days absent due to illness in the CM group were reduced from 5.8 to 3.7 days in the postintervention school year. School nurse screening, CM, and collaboration with a medical provider resulted in early identification, referral, and subsequent treatment of students at risk for asthma and may have contributed to reduced illness absences.

Asthma-Related School Absenteeism, Morbidity, and Modifiable Factors

“…For public health officials, educators, policy makers, investigators, or others working with schools, asthma-related absenteeism might enhance the identification of children whose asthma control could be improved through intensified clinical, environmental, or case management services. 24, 25, 43–45 For clinicians, parent, guardian, or caregiver reporting of asthma-related school absenteeism might prove useful for identifying children with asthma who could benefit from an assessment of their need for home mold remediation, case management, or additional interventions recommended by the EPR-3 guidelines. 18 …”

School-Based Interprofessional Asthma Self-Management Education Program for Middle School Students: A Feasibility Trial

“…For instance, a randomized controlled trial of an asthma program in elementary schools revealed a decrease in urgent care use and absenteeism, improved inhaler technique, and a higher quality of life. 19 Likewise, other studies demonstrate improvements in absenteeism and school performance. [33][34][35] According to the national EPR-3 guidelines, "proven school-based programs should be considered for implementation because of their potential to reach large numbers of children who have asthma."…”

The Role of School Health Services in Addressing the Needs of Students With Chronic Health Conditions

“…Bartholomew et al (2006) found an improvement in state reading and writing test scores in their subset of students with direct physician access. Another study showed no difference in standardized test scores for English or math among students exposed to nursing CM versus controls (Moricca et al, 2013). …”