title: Internet-enabled interactive multimedia asthma education program: a randomized trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether health outcomes of children who have asthma can be improved through the use of an Internet-enabled interactive multimedia asthma education program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred twenty-eight children with asthma visiting a pediatric pulmonary clinic were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. Children and caregivers in both groups received traditional patient education based on the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. Intervention group participants received additional self-management education through the Interactive Multimedia Program for Asthma Control and Tracking. Pediatric Asthma Care Knowledge Survey, Pediatric Asthma Caregiver's Quality of Life Questionnaire, asthma symptom history, spirometry, and health services utilization data were collected at the initial visit and at 3 and 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interactive Multimedia Program for Asthma Control and Tracking significantly increased asthma knowledge of children and caregivers, decreased asthma symptom days (81 vs 51 per year), and decreased number of emergency department visits (1.93 vs 0.62 per year) among the intervention group participants. The intervention group children were also using a significantly lower average daily dose of inhaled corticosteroids (434 vs 754 micro g [beclomethasone equivalents]) at visit 3. Asthma knowledge of all 7- to 17-year-old children correlated with fewer urgent physician visits (r = 0.37) and less frequent use of quick-relief medicines (r = 0.30).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supplementing conventional asthma care with interactive multimedia education can significantly improve asthma knowledge and reduce the burden of childhood asthma.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63104, USA. krishnas@slu.edu
authors.forename: Santosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishna
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Francisco
authors.forename: E Andrew
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Balas
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: Gavin R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Graff
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Madsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D001507:Beclomethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education*; D002648:Child; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D019212:Multimedia / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D001507:Beclomethasone