Feasibility of a Community Asthma Management Network (CAMN) program: Lessons learnt from an exploratory investigation

This study explored the feasibility of implementing a program - Community Asthma Management Network (CAMN) program - designed to empower asthma patients living in a rural community. The research question explored was: What is the effect of a community based asthma management program geared towards empowering asthma patients on (i) patients' self-efficacy relative to asthma management, (ii) patients' self-management skills, (iii) patients' knowledge, (iv) patient compliance, (v) patients' quality of life, (vi) health care resources utilization, and (vii) lost school/work days? The study was conducted in a community pharmacy and was implemented by two community pharmacists. Study design was a pretest-posttest design. Twenty patients with moderate/severe asthma symptoms were recruited to participate in the study. Data were collected from study participants using telephone survey. Pre- project data were collected prior to the implementation of the CAMN program intervention and post-project data collected six months later at the end of the CAMN program. Differences between pre- and post- assessments of outcome measures were calculated to determine the degree of success of the CAMN program. Reliability of measures used in the study was established by calculating alpha coefficient estimates. Patients who participated in the CAMN program showed improved patients' state of empowerment (increased self- efficacy), patient knowledge, and compliance. Although there were indication of positive improvement for other outcomes, results for self-management skills, quality of life, health care resources utilization, and lost school/work days were not found to be statistically significant. This demonstration project provides feasibility results on improving patient outcomes by empowering patients. Asthma is a chronic condition necessitating the adoption of self-care activities by patients. Patient empowerment approach allows patients to be armed with necessary resources for them to solve their health problems, and ultimately achieve their individual health goals.