Participant Perspectives on the Implementation of a School-Linked Text-Message Intervention to Improve Pediatric Asthma Medication Adherence.

Background: Poor adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is a significant challenge in pediatric asthma, contributing to health inequities. Text-message reminders for ICS therapy are an evidence-based approach that improves pediatric asthma medication adherence, yet has not been widely adopted into practice, partly due to lack of (1) participant input on design and implementation and (2) use of sustainable community linkages. Remote Asthma Link™ (RAL) seeks to fill this gap as a school-linked text-message intervention wherein parents of children with poorly controlled asthma received daily, 2-way text-message reminders for preventive inhaler use. Responses were shared with school nurses who conducted remote check-ins with families. Enrolled children, largely from underserved backgrounds, experienced improvements in medication adherence and asthma health outcomes. While initial results were promising, we have yet to elicit participant input to refine the protocol for more widespread implementation. Objective: Examine participant perspectives on barriers and facilitators of RAL implementation. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted May-June 2022 with intervention participants: 10 parents, 7 school nurses, and 4 pediatric providers (n = 21) until thematic saturation was reached. Interview transcripts were coded using thematic analysis. Results: Several facilitators for RAL implementation were identified, including ease of use and accessibility, personal connection to the school nurse, and receipt of a visual notification for habit formation. Barriers included challenges with school nurses reaching parents, poor understanding of program expectations, and lack of reimbursement structure. Participant-proposed solutions to barriers included utilizing alternate communication methods (eg, social media), educational sessions, and meeting with payors to consider reimbursement models. Conclusion: RAL is a school-linked text-message intervention demonstrating promise in improving outcomes and equity in asthma care. Key implementation facilitators, barriers, and proposed solutions will inform protocol adaptations to promote successful implementation of this and other text-message interventions into clinical practice.

Strategies to improve the recruitment and retention of underserved children and families in clinical trials: A case example of a school-supervised asthma therapy pilot.

BACKGROUND: Due to underrepresentation of racial/ethnic minority and low-income groups in clinical studies, there is a call to improve the recruitment and retention of these populations in research. Pilot studies can test recruitment and retention practices for better inclusion of medically underserved children and families in subsequent clinical trials. We examined this using a school-based asthma intervention, in preparation for a larger clinical trial in which our goal is to include an underserved study population. METHODS: We recruited children with poorly controlled asthma in a two-site pilot cluster randomized controlled trial of school-supervised asthma therapy versus enhanced usual care (receipt of an educational asthma workbook). We sought a study population with a high percentage of children and families from racial/ethnic minority and low-income groups. The primary outcome of the pilot trial was recruitment/retention over 12 months. Strategies used to facilitate recruitment/retention of this study population included engaging pre-trial multi-level stakeholders, selecting trial sites with high percentages of underserved children and families, training diverse medical providers to recruit participants, conducting remote trial assessments, and providing multi-lingual study materials. RESULTS: Twenty-six children [42.3% female, 11.5% Black, 30.8% Multiracial (Black & other), 76.9% Hispanic, and 92.3% with family income below $40,000] and their caregivers were enrolled in the study, which represents 55.3% of those initially referred by their provider, with 96.2%, 92.3%, and 96.2% retention at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up, respectively. CONCLUSION: Targeted strategies facilitated the inclusion of a medically underserved population of children and families in our pilot study, prior to expanding to a larger trial.

School Nurse Perspectives on School-Supervised Asthma Therapy: A Qualitative Study.

Background: School-supervised asthma therapy improves asthma outcomes for children, yet this strategy is not widely utilized. School nurses play a vital role in this intervention, yet their perspectives on school-supervised asthma therapy have not been thoroughly examined. Objectives: To examine the perspectives of school nurses participating in school-supervised asthma therapy and identify key facilitators, barriers, and proposed solutions that will facilitate the uptake of this strategy. Methods: We used purposeful sampling to recruit 12 school nurses participating in Asthma Link, a real-world application of school-supervised asthma therapy, between 2017 and 2019. We performed semistructured interviews with school nurses to elicit their perspectives on the facilitators, barriers, and proposed solutions to barriers to Asthma Link implementation. Interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative descriptive methodology to identify major themes. Results: School nurses identified facilitators for Asthma Link adoption, including the ease of integrating supervised therapy into school nurse routines, recognition of benefits for families with limited resources, and satisfaction participating in preventive care. School nurses identified barriers, including communication challenges with families and providers, families not reliably bringing medication to school, limited nursing staff in schools, and increased school nurse turnover. School nurses proposed specific solutions to these barriers, including appointing Asthma Link liaisons within pediatric practices, incentivizing families to bring medicine to school, and partnering new school nurses with those experienced in delivering Asthma Link to overcome staffing issues and promote program fidelity. Conclusions: School nurse perspectives on the facilitators, barriers, and solutions to barriers are important for understanding how to promote real-world implementation of school-supervised asthma therapy. The themes identified in this study will be utilized to refine our protocol for Asthma Link to facilitate real-world adoption of this evidence-based strategy.

School-supervised Asthma Therapy is Associated with Improved Long-Term Asthma Outcomes for Underrepresented Minority Children.

Asthma morbidity disproportionately impacts children from low-income and racial/ethnic minority communities. School-supervised asthma therapy improves asthma outcomes for up to 15 months for underrepresented minority children, but little is known about whether these benefits are sustained over time. We examined the frequency of emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions for 83 children enrolled in Asthma Link, a school nurse-supervised asthma therapy program serving predominantly underrepresented minority children. We compared outcomes between the year preceding enrollment and years one-four post-enrollment. Compared with the year prior to enrollment, asthma-related ED visits decreased by 67.9% at one year, 59.5% at two years, 70.2% at three years, and 50% at four years post-enrollment (all p-values< 0.005). There were also significant declines in mean numbers of total ED visits, asthma-related hospital admissions, and total hospital admissions. Our results indicate that school nurse-supervised asthma therapy could potentially mitigate racial/ethnic and socioeconomic inequities in childhood asthma.

CENTER-IT: a novel methodology for adapting multi-level interventions using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research-a case example of a school-supervised asthma intervention.

BACKGROUND: Implementation science frameworks advise the engagement of multi-level partners (at the patient, provider, and systems level) to adapt and increase the uptake of evidence-based practices (EBPs). However, there is little guidance to ensure that systems-level adaptations reflect the voices of providers who deliver and patients/caregivers who receive EBPs. METHODS: We present a novel methodology, grounded in the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), which anchors the engagement of multi-level partners to the voices of individuals who deliver and receive EBPs. Using the CFIR domains: intervention adaptation, individuals involved, inner/outer setting, and process, we illustrate our 4-step methodology through a case example of Asthma Link, a school-supervised asthma management intervention. In step 1, we interviewed "individuals involved" in the intervention (providers/caregivers/patients of Asthma Link) to identify implementation barriers. In step 2, we selected systems-level partners in the "inner and outer setting" that could assist with addressing these barriers. In step 3, we presented the barriers to these systems-level partners and conducted semi-structured interviews to elicit their recommended solutions (process). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and open-coded. A theoretical sampling model and deductive reasoning were used to identify solutions to implementation barriers. In step 4, we utilized multi-level input to adapt the Asthma Link intervention. RESULTS: Identified barriers included inability to obtain two inhalers for home and school use, inconsistent delivery of the inhaler to school by families, and challenges when schools did not have a nurse. Interviews conducted with school/clinic leaders, pharmacists, payors, legislators, and policymakers (n=22) elicited solutions to address provider and patient/caregiver-identified barriers, including (1) establishing a Medicaid-specific pharmacy policy to allow dispensation of two inhalers, (2) utilizing pharmacy-school delivery services to ensure medication reaches schools, and (3) identifying alternate (non-nurse) officials to supervise medication administration. The iterative process of engaging multi-level partners helped to create an adapted Asthma Link intervention, primed for effective implementation. CONCLUSIONS: This novel methodology, grounded in the CFIR, ensures that systems-level changes that require the engagement of multi-level partners reflect the voices of individuals who deliver and receive EBPs. This methodology demonstrates the dynamic interplay of CFIR domains to advance the field of implementation science.

A response to COVID-19 school closures: The feasibility of a school-linked text message intervention as an adaptation to school-supervised asthma therapy.

BACKGROUND: School-supervised asthma therapy improves asthma medication adherence and morbidity, particularly among low-income and underrepresented minority (URM) children. However, COVID-19-related school closures abruptly suspended this therapy. In response, we developed a school-linked text message intervention. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of a school-linked text message intervention. METHODS: In December 2020, children previously enrolled in school-supervised asthma therapy in Central Massachusetts were recruited into this school-linked text message intervention. We sent two-way, automated, daily text reminders in English or Spanish to caregivers of these children, asking if they had given their child their daily preventive asthma medicine. Our study team notified the school nurse if the caregiver did not consistently respond to text messages. School nurses performed weekly remote check-ins with all families. The primary outcome of the study was feasibility: recruitment, retention, and intervention fidelity. Secondarily we examined intervention acceptability and asthma health outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-six children (54% male, 69% Hispanic, 8% Black, 23% White, 93% Medicaid insured) and their caregivers were enrolled in the intervention with 96% participant retention at 6 months. Caregiver response rate to daily text messages was 81% over the study period. Children experienced significant improvements in asthma health outcomes. The intervention was well accepted by nurses and caregivers. CONCLUSION: A school-linked text messaging intervention for pediatric asthma is feasible and acceptable. This simple, accessible intervention may improve health outcomes for low-income and URM children with asthma. It merits further study as a potential strategy to advance health equity.

Caregiver-perceived neighborhood safety and pediatric asthma severity: 2017-2018 National Survey of Children's Health.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between caregiver-perceived neighborhood safety and pediatric asthma severity using a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample. STUDY DESIGN: Using data from the 2017-2018 National Survey of Children's Health, children aged 6-17 years with primary caregiver report of a current asthma diagnosis were included (unweighted N = 3209; weighted N = 3,909,178). Perceived neighborhood safety, asthma severity (mild vs. moderate/severe), demographic, household, and health/behavioral covariate data were collected from primary caregiver report. Poisson regression with robust error variance was used to estimate the association between perceived neighborhood safety and caregiver-reported pediatric asthma severity. RESULTS: Approximately one-third of children studied had moderate/severe asthma. A total of 42% of children with mild asthma and 52% of children with moderate/severe asthma identified as Hispanic or non-Hispanic Black. Nearly 20% of children with mild asthma and 40% of children with moderate/severe asthma were from families living below the federal poverty level (FPL). Children living in neighborhoods perceived by their caregiver to be unsafe had higher prevalence of moderate/severe asthma compared to those in the safest neighborhoods (adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.34; 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.74). This association was found to be independent of race/ethnicity, household FPL, household smoking, and child's physical activity level after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Children living in neighborhoods perceived by their caregiver to be unsafe have higher prevalence of moderate or severe asthma. Further investigation of geographic context and neighborhood characteristics that influence childhood asthma severity may inform public health strategies to reduce asthma burden and improve disease outcomes.

Incorporating systems-level stakeholder perspectives into the clinical trial design of school-supervised asthma therapy.

RATIONALE: Few evidence-based public health interventions are adopted in practice, in part due to a disconnect between the outcomes measured in clinical trials and the outcomes important to stakeholders that determine implementation in real-world practice. AsthmaLink is a school-supervised asthma therapy program which partners pediatric providers, school nurses, and families. To inform the design of a cluster randomized controlled trial of AsthmaLink, we elicited systems-level stakeholder input. METHODS: Maximum variation sampling was used to recruit 18 stakeholders to participate in semi-structured interviews that were recorded, transcribed, and open coded: Department of Public Health officials (n = 4), school officials (n = 4), pediatric practice managers (n = 3), health insurance officials (n = 4), and legislators (n = 3). Thematic analysis was used to identify common themes related to stakeholder priorities for clinical trial design and perceived barriers to AsthmaLink adoption. RESULTS: Stakeholder groups identified common priorities for the clinical trial design, including examination of the extent to which AsthmaLink (1) reduces health care utilization, (2) is cost effective (2) addresses health disparities, (3) reduces school absenteeism, and (4) educates families about asthma. Stakeholder groups reported potential barriers to AsthmaLink adoption, including challenges pertaining to (1) securing resources, staffing, and reimbursement, (2) variability across school districts, and (3) standing out amidst multiple programs vying for resources. CONCLUSIONS: Systems-level stakeholder input informed refinements to the clinical trial design of a school-supervised therapy program including outcome and implementation measures and choice of study population. Incorporating systems-level stakeholder perspectives into clinical trial design is critical to achieve adoption of evidence-based interventions into practice.

Alignment of stakeholder agendas to facilitate the adoption of school-supervised asthma therapy.

BACKGROUND: School-supervised inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy improves pediatric asthma medication adherence, outcomes, and morbidity. However, school-supervised ICS therapy has not been widely adopted into practice. We developed Asthma Link™ as a sustainable, low-cost model of school-supervised asthma therapy, designed for real-world adoption. Initial outcomes of Asthma Link™ demonstrated a significant improvement in health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we examined the perspectives of Asthma Link™ participants to identify systems-level barriers and facilitators to refine the Asthma Link™ protocol and facilitate real-world uptake of school-supervised asthma therapy. METHODS: Using qualitative research methods, we interviewed 29 participants in Asthma Link™ from 2016 to 2018. Semi-structured interviews were conducted over the phone. Interviews were transcribed and the transcripts were coded to identify major themes within and across stakeholder groups. RESULTS: Stakeholders agreed on many facilitators for successful Asthma Link™ execution including the brief and easy to follow procedures and the perceived beneficial health impacts for children involved. Some of the barriers identified were deviations from the protocol and insurance companies denying coverage for two inhalers. However, the participants did propose solutions to address these barriers. CONCLUSION: Asthma Link™ is a low-cost, sustainable model of school-supervised asthma therapy that leverages the established infrastructure and collaboration of medical providers, school staff, and families. In this study, we elicited the perspectives from these stakeholder groups and identified an agreement in several facilitators, barriers, and proposed solutions that will ultimately inform refinement of the program protocol and support real-world adoption of Asthma Link™ and other similar models.