Improving Asthma Self-Management for Adults

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airway, affecting more than 20 million Americans. Without proper management it can be life-threatening, yet many adults with persistent asthma are unwilling or unable to implement medication and environmental regimens that can keep their asthma under control. Identified barriers to effective management include; lack of knowledge about asthma and treatment options, fear of addiction to and side effects of medications; and poor communication skills with healthcare providers. Interventions that improve compliance and self-management can reduce hospitalizations, medical costs, missed work days and improve quality of life. The goal of this proposal is to create an interactive Internet/CD-ROM program for adults aged 18 and older with asthma to build their asthma self-management skills. This behaviorally based program will emphasize improving compliance with health care provider regimens by increasing: 1) knowledge regarding asthma and proper use of medications, 2) motivation to use prevention methods effectively, 3) self-efficacy in managing asthma, and 4) communication skill-building with health care providers. Content will be based on clinical practice guidelines (NHLBI) and will include: 1) understanding asthma, 2) improving compliance with treatment guidelines, and 3) communicating with healthcare providers. Asthma is a potentially life-threatening inflammatory disease of the airway, affecting more than 20 million Americans, but many adults with asthma have difficulty implementing the strategies to control their disease. This project will create a behaviorally based program to help asthma sufferers understand and adhere to self management strategies, in an effort to improve their quality of life and reduce hospitalizations, medical costs, missed work days.