A provincial asthma education network leading to the establishment of more than a hundred AECs was established in the 1990s in the province of Quebec. Unfortunately, only a small proportion of asthmatic patients consulting for acute asthma were initially directed to AECs, so we looked at strategies to increase the number of patients seen at these centers. A model of automatic referral of asthmatic patients to an AEC had been developed at Laval Hospital, and preliminary results had been positive, with a reduction of ED visits in the subsequent months. To get more asthmatic patients who were consulting for acute asthma into structured educational Canadian Pharmacy interventions, we developed a new program, subsequently supported by the Canadian Fund for Adaptation of Health Services. This program offers a model of educational intervention and follow-up strategies for acute care centers (ACCs). It is aimed at promoting participation of patients with asthma in such educational programs as the ones offered by established AECs of the Quebec Asthma Education Network; the idea is to make systematic and voluntary referrals to those centers. This article describes the above model and includes an evaluation of its impact on referrals to an AEC, as well identifying factors that influence, either positively or negatively, the implementation of such programs.
Materials and Methods CAnadian pharmacy viagra
The program described here aimed at increasing referrals of asthmatic patients consulting at the ED Viagra in Australia or admitted to the hospital for acute asthma to specialized asthma educators in AECs. Its specific goals were to integrate into current care the systematic referral of asthmatic patients to an AEC by the ED staff. Another goal, not formally evaluated in the present analysis, was to initiate a short educational intervention at the ED that would increase patients’ basic knowledge of asthma and, most importantly, motivate them to pursue the educational program.
To achieve the above goals in each center, we proposed two main types of interventions. First, the ED health professionals would be given specific training on asthma and its treatment, the appropriate use of inhalers, and the role of an AEC.