Validation of the BREATHE Asthma Intervention Trial

Nearly every asthma related hospitalization and death could be prevented with appropriate self-management that achieves and maintains disease control. However, as many as 64% of adults have uncontrolled asthma; minorities are disproportionately represented within that population. While inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are a safe and effective treatment for uncontrolled asthma, relative to Whites, Blacks have lower rates of ICS adherence.

Black adults with uncontrolled asthma experience profound health disparities. Despite data that point to the critical need for enhanced asthma self-management, rates of controlled asthma are well below Healthy People 2020 targets, particularly among vulnerable populations. This Brief Evaluation of Asthma Therapy (BREATHE) intervention has the potential to offer a new avenue to asthma control via shared decision-making that supports ICS adherence.

PROVIDER RECRUITMENT

Inclusion criteria

• PCPs (MDs and Nurse Practitioners (NPs)/Physician Assistants (PAs)) working in family, primary or internal medicine care services
• Who have at least 40 adult patients with persistent asthma (defined as having been prescribed ICS) on their patient panel

Exclusion criteria

• PCPs whose primary focus is outside of adult health services (family, primary or internal medicine), such as behavioral health, pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OB-GYN)

PATIENT RECRUITMENT

Inclusion criteria

Patients must be

• adults (> or = 18 years of age) who self-report race as Black or African American
• with PCP-diagnosed persistent asthma
• prescribed ICS
• receiving asthma care at participating FQHCs
• who have uncontrolled asthma
• have erroneous personal health and/or negative ICS beliefs

Exclusion criteria

• participation in Phase 1 (Part 1) of the BREATHE trial (focus groups)
• non-English speaking
• serious mental health conditions (e.g., psychosis) that preclude completion of study procedures or confound analyses