CTC-RI Wraps Up Asthma Quality Improvement Collaborative Focusing on Pediatric Primary Care and School Nurse Partnerships
On June 26, 2024, Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island wrapped up its second asthma quality improvement initiative, this time focusing on strengthening communication and coordination workflows between pediatric primary care practices and school nurses with a participation emphasis on asthma action plans and missed days of school . In the final meeting, practices and school nurses shared communication process and workflow updates, integration of educational materials, supplies purchased, and school absenteeism tracking. Both practices and school nurses reported positive changes to workflows citing that they have developed both a system and a positive relationship with the clinical and practice staff that they will now use in actively communicating issues related to asthma control and absenteeism both at the practice they worked with and other pediatric practices. Additionally, Park Pediatrics focused on leveraging KIDSNET to upload asthma action plans and outreach to school nurses for students with asthma, which they used to connect with six school nurses for their patients.
Post assessment survey results revealed that both school nurses and practices experienced positive changes. School nurse assessments showed that they felt they had more supports including educational materials, proper authorization forms, and updated asthma actions plans for students. Practices reported significant improvements in using the step-wise approach to the management of asthma, providing asthma action plans to patients and school nurses, and more timely follow-up visits. Practices and school nurses collaborated with the RIDOH and were able to make improvements to the asthma action plan template and learned that communication between school nurses and primary care practices is allowable under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Participating pediatric practices were Barrington Pediatric Associates, Pediatric Associates, Sunshine Pediatrics, Blackstone Valley Pediatrics and Parks Pediatrics. Partnering school nurses Tracey Bradley, RN, Kent Heights School, and Alexandra Doty, BSN, RN-BC, Myron J Francis Elementary School, Colleen O’Donnell, BSN, RN, George J West Elementary. The school nurse consultant was Jennifer Castano from RISE Prep Mayoral Academy. Practice Facilitators included June Tourangeau and Sue Dettling.
Funding for this QI project is provided by RI Department of Health and Tufts Health Plan.