Asthma Summary, Essay Example

Asthma is one of the most challenging health conditions in adolescents. The severity and frequency of asthma exacerbation is directly associated with adolescents’ medication compliance. Emotional issues and developmental complexities, as well as family dysfunction and the lack of peer support lead to poor medication compliance in teenagers with asthma (Taddeo, Egedy & Frappier, 2008). Simultaneously, adolescent compliance with the prescribed medication regimens remains the key factor of treatment success (Taddeo et al, 2008). However, medication compliance alone cannot guarantee that adolescents with asthma achieve the desired treatment outcomes. Education greatly contributes to health improvements in teenagers with asthma. According to Bruzzese et al (2008), education improves self-management in adolescents with asthma and, consequentially, improves their medication compliance. As a result, education and medication compliance altogether help adolescents to reduce the severity and frequency of asthma exacerbations.

Based on the model of Rosswurm and Larrabee (1999), an educational program was developed to improve medication compliance in teenagers with asthma and reduce the severity and frequency of asthma exacerbations in adolescents. The current state of evidence-based research justifies the choice of education as the most relevant instrument of achieving better medication compliance in teenagers with asthma (Taddeo et al, 2008). Education improves medication compliance which, in turn, reduces the scope of asthma exacerbations in adolescents (Stern et al, 2006). Rosswurm and Larrabee’s (1999) model is used to develop a new standard/ protocol, according to which nurses work to reduce the severity and frequency of asthma exacerbations in teenagers through a comprehensive school-based education program and patient follow-up. Patient and staff survey responses are used to evaluate the proposed change in practice and its feasibility.

The contribution of the project to the future of healthcare environment is difficult to underestimate. Despite recent advancements in medicine, asthma affects millions of adolescents around the world. A multitude of factors affects patient medication compliance with prescribed medication regimens; the situation is particularly problematic with teenagers, who face the lack of emotional support and family dysfunction (Taddeo et al, 2008). Nurses play an important role in promoting medication compliance and can help teenagers to reduce the severity and frequency of asthma exacerbations. This project sets the stage for improving health and wellbeing of adolescents with asthma through educational interventions and patient follow-ups.

References

Bruzzese, J.M., Unikel, L., Gallagher, R., Evans, D. & Colland, V. (2008). Feasibility and impact of a school-based intervention for families of urban adolescents with asthma: Results from a randomized pilot trial. Family Process, 47(1), 95-113.

Rosswurm, M.A. & Larrabee, J.H. (1999). A model for change to evidence-based practice. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 31(4), 317-322.

Stern, L., Berman, J., Lumry, W., Katz, L., Wang, L., Rosenblatt, L. & Doyle, J.J. (2006).

Medication compliance and disease exacerbation in patients with asthma: A retrospective study of managed care data. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 97(3), 402-408.

Taddeo, D., Egedy, M. & Frappier, J.Y. (2008). Adherence to treatment in adolescents. Pediatrics & Child Health, 13(1), 19-24.