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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05013788

Using Social Media to Decrease Healthcare Utilization for Pediatric Asthma

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if social media enhanced education (SME) will reduce total number of treatment days defined as summation of days of subsequent hospital admission, emergency room visits, and clinic visits, reduce missed school days, reduce total costs from a health system perspective, have increased effect with increased social media engagement, have increased effect in participants with both caregiver and patient (combined) with social media accounts, compared to participants where only the patient or only the caregiver uses social media (single),have increased patient satisfaction in the asthma education received and to obtain the experience and data needed to refine SME to be able to expand this platform for other chronic medical conditions with high healthcare utilization including pediatric diabetes, epilepsy, and sickle cell disease in children with asthma.

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Key information

Conditions

Asthma in Children

Age range

3 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • hospitalized to Children's Memorial Hermann admitted for asthma exacerbation
  • patient and/or primary caregiver must have internet access on cellular phones or at home and use a social media account (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or Snapchat)

Exclusion criteria

  • other chronic conditions besides asthma that may necessitate frequent health care utilization. i.e. children with complex chronic conditions, sickle cell, seizures, diabetes.

Treatment and study plan

Social Media Enhanced Education

Other

Along with usual asthma education received,participants will receive asthma education via various social media platforms ,Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or Snapchat. Topics of education will include background on asthma and pathophysiology, asthma severity classification, asthma triggers, different medications and indications for when to take them, how to use an inhaler technique, and symptom monitoring.Online resources from the American Lung Association and the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program will also be posted.

Usual Asthma Education

Other

For patients who are admitted to Children's Memorial Hermann for asthma exacerbation, asthma education is provided to patients and families on the day of discharge by the nurse and respiratory therapist on triggers, Signs & Symptoms, Medication Use, Medication Delivery, Peak Flow, Zones and how to respond to each, and Cleaning equipment.Nursing staff are responsible for printing out education sheets to give to patients and showing an education video that is 20 minutes long. An asthma action plan are given to families on discharge. Patients that are discharged from the emergency room are given the same educational materials by the nurses and/or respiratory therapists except for the asthma video. Patients receive a variable amount of asthma education when going to usual clinic visits. The education provided is dependent on the provider, and usually limited in length to the time of the visit

Primary outcomes

  1. Total Number of Treatment Days in a Medical Setting (Hospital, Emergency Department (ED), Clinic)

    Time frame: 1 year after enrollment

    Treatment days are defined as the summation of days in the hospital, ED, or in the clinic.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Number of Days Hospitalized

    Time frame: 1 year after enrollment

  2. Number of Participants With Hospital Readmissions

    Time frame: 1 year after enrollment

  3. Number of Participants With Emergency Room Visits

    Time frame: 1 year after enrollment

  4. Total Number of Clinic Visits

    Time frame: 1 year after enrollment

  5. Patient Satisfaction and Understanding of Asthma Education

    Time frame: 1 year after enrollment

    This outcome was assessed using a questionnaire item asking, "How satisfied are you with the amount of asthma education provided to you?" The question is scored from 1 to 5, a higher number indicating a better outcome.

  6. Number of Missed Days of School

    Time frame: 1 year after enrollment

  7. Total Estimated Health System Costs, Hospital Costs, and Clinic Costs

    Time frame: 1 year after enrollment

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Other

Collaborators

  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

Registry information

Official study title

Using Social Media to Decrease Healthcare Utilization for Pediatric Asthma: a Pilot Randomized Control Trial

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Aug 19, 2021
Registry last updated
Feb 11, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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