Using practical outcomes to measure clinical performance in the children’s asthma clinic

Abstract

This paper investigates clinical outcomes of children with asthma treated in a hospital clinic and thus develop a method for the monitoring of clinical performance. Prospective, before‐and‐after analyses of clinic information for first hospital visits and long‐term follow‐ups. For initial referrals we assessed the change in asthma symptom scores between initial and first follow‐up visits. For long‐term follow‐up yearly changes in symptom scores, hospital admissions, school absences and oral steroid use were measured. Multiple regression was used to study the role of possible predicting factors, where applicable. The subjects studied were children attending hospital children’s asthma clinics in Tayside. Initial referral to hospital asthma clinic was associated with a significant improvement in mean symptom scores. In contrast, children on long‐term hospital follow‐up were maintained at a relatively steady state. Measurement of these outcomes in children’s asthma clinics could facilitate the assessment of clinical performance and monitor changes on a longitudinal basis.