Developing a Care Plan for Optimal Health Outcomes for People with Asthma

Developing a Care Plan 1
DEVELOPING A CARE PLAN FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE WITH
ASTHMA
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Developing a Care Plan 2
Part A: Executive Summary
Given the challenges that most asthma patients as well as medical practitioners face in
their bid to manage the condition, it is imperative that a correct diagnosis be established prior to
administration of care or treatment to the patient. As studies reveal, correct diagnosis is critical in
assessing poor symptom control and as such, physicians would be inclined to undertake
comprehensive history of the patient, physical examination and lung function measurement when
necessitated. In this light, it is advocated that barriers that contribute to sub-optimal asthma
control should be identified and eradicated (Barton et al, 2009, p. 103). Some of these factors
include; smoking, poor inhaler technique and disregarding patients’ views (Dima, Bruin &
Ganse, 2016, p. 867). Hence, it is suggested that clinical trials should be administered among
diverse patient populations so as to determine a wide range of these barriers and distinguish
effective ways in which they can be controlled.
To successfully improve the well-being asthma patients, primary care and specialist care
have been supplemented with non-clinical interventions that are specifically tailored to suit the
needs of the patient. Such interventions may include; environmental assessments where the
patient is residing, in-depth education of asthma inclusive of the preventive measures that may
be initiated by the individual, and mitigation of the risks or rather exposure of the individual to
factors that may trigger asthma. Evidence reveals that such strategies have been found to be
essential in decreasing urgent medical encounters as well as improving the quality of life of the
patient in a process that facilitates speedy recoveries (Hoppin, Jacob & Stillman, 2010, p. 2).
An integrated information system for patient centered monitoring of asthma patients has
also been advocated for as an appropriate measure for providing care to asthma patients. Ideally,

Developing a Care Plan 3
the implementation of automated systems in healthcare settings has proved to be pivotal in
hastening the provision of care by reducing the time that patients get access to physicians. On the
same note, such systems have also been effective in reducing the work load for medical
practitioners as well as promoting patient safety by reducing errors in the provision of care (Cano
et al, 2009, p. 373). In this light, research has revealed that by implementing a model information
system that is capable of integrating patient health information for asthma patients, medical
practitioners will realize an improved level of connectivity for health information that
specifically supports the care of patients with persistent asthma (Adams, et al, 2003, p. 2).
Finally, the Asthma Model of Care developed in Western Australia provides a number of
best practices that can be instituted among patients suffering from asthma. The model basically
focuses on optimal pathways of care and the management of long-term conditions in a way that
enhances self-management as well as disease and case management. In this light, the model
proposes a number of practices including; reducing asthma related risks, early or prompt
diagnosis, asthma self-management, assessment of severity of asthma, management of transition
care, and asthma education (Department of Health, 2012). In this plan, it has been articulated that
physicians ought to implement these plans in an attempt to help prevent or rather mitigate the
prevalence of asthma as a chronic condition that affects all patient populations regardless of their
age.
Part B
Policy and Relevant Information
Ideally, people suffering from asthma incur huge medical costs in their attempts to treat
the condition. Furthermore, they lack sufficient education as evidenced by their inability to

Developing a Care Plan 4
access comprehensive asthma education especially in during the home environmental
interventions. Also, services being accorded to asthma patients are not adequately paid for by
insurance companies thereby making it even the more expensive to treat the condition (Hoppin,
Jacob & Stillman, 2010, p. 2). Thus by providing access to education where patients become
well acquainted with the risk factors and the measures that they may take to help prevent the
condition from escalating or rather, to facilitate recovery, becomes critical in the provision of
care for asthma patients.
Physicians in their practice have also been cautioned on the need to conduct
comprehensive patient assessments so as to be able to understand the exact symptoms of asthma
and subsequently prevent poor controls of asthma (Hoecke & Cauwenberge, 2007, p. 706). In
such cases, a simple question regarding the medical history of the patient has been found to be
effective in achieve such objectives. Moreover, physicians have also been inclined to respect
patient autonomy thereby taking their time to appreciate individual patient views relating to their
health (Haughney et al, 2008, p. 1682). Hence, discussions between medical practitioners and
patients have been guided under such facets thereby ensuring that patient receives care that is
well suited to their needs.
In various medical organizations, technology has been incorporated for the better
management of health for patients. For asthma patients in particular, an integrated information
system comprising of three main components has been implemented to improve the monitoring
of patients with asthma. The technology comprising of patient centred telephone linked
communication system and an internet-based alert that facilitates reporting and nurse case
management system has proven to be efficient in supporting customized monitoring of patients
while at the same time transferring critical data that facilitates timely provision of care to patients