Emergency Department (ED)-Directed Interventions to Improve Asthma Outcomes

November 17, 2016 updated by: University of Alberta

Emergency Department (ED)-Directed Interventions to Improve Outcomes After Asthma Exacerbations

The purpose of this study is to determine if evidence-based guidance on follow-up care and self-management provided to PCPs and patients, respectively, reduces relapses within 90 days for acute asthma (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes will include follow-up visits with the primary care provider, patients' quality of life and cost-effectiveness indicators.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This prospective, randomized, open label study will include asthmatics 17-55 years of age with no evidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Patients will be eligible if they visit one of four Emergency Departments (EDs) in Edmonton or Calgary and receive treatment for acute asthma resulting in discharge home. All patients should have a primary care provider (PCP: Family Physician, Internist or Nurse Practitioner) with whom to follow-up or one will be found for them. At discharge patients will be randomized into three groups: A: Usual care; PCPs will receive a faxed copy of the ED chart and patients will receive a discharge plan and a paper-based educational pamphlet (treatment in the ED and at discharge will be left to ED physicians' discretion); B: Usual care + personalized fax to the patients' PCP including a copy of the ED chart and a opinion-leader (OL) letter encouraging follow-up within two weeks and providing management suggestions; or C: Usual care + personalized fax to the patients' PCP including the OL letter as described above + involvement of a case manager who will encourage patients' to pursue follow-up, provide management review and offer brief education within the next week. Outcomes will be ascertained blinded to treatment allocation through telephone follow-up at 30 and 90 days. A sample of 366 patients (122 per group) is required based on the proportion with relapse at 90 days (40%) and a chi-square test of association and post-hoc tests (groups A vs. B, groups B vs. C). This sample will allow for the detection of an moderate effect size of at least 0.171, and a difference between groups A and B of 50% (i.e., 40% vs. 20%) and between groups B and C of 75% (i.e., 20% vs. 5%) using two-sided z-tests, 80% power, α=0.025. Intention to treat analyses will be conducted. Relapse rates by group and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) will be calculated. Proportions among groups will be compared using chi-square tests and if statistically significant, separate proportion tests will compare pairs of groups adjusting for multiple testing. A multivariable logistic regression model will adjust effect estimates for potential baseline imbalances and site-specific differences in effectiveness.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
367

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Alberta
      • Calgary, Alberta, Canada
        • University of Calgary
      • Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G2B7
        • University of Alberta

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

17 years to 55 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 17-55 years old;
  2. Patients treated and discharged from one of the four study sites with acute asthma (not simply for a prescription refill) during the study period;
  3. Patients must have had a previous physician-diagnosis of asthma and an exacerbation diagnosed by the ED physician (e.g., past asthma history, recorded response to β-agonists in the ED, and increased asthma symptoms). In the event of a new diagnosis, the patient is still eligible for the study if the treating physician feels that the history is compatible with a diagnosis of asthma;
  4. Patients must have evidence of airflow obstruction on presentation at the ED, defined as an FEV1 or PEF <80% of predicted;
  5. Patients must not have a history of more than 20 pack-years of smoking;
  6. All patients should have a PCP (FP, nurse practitioner or internist) with whom to follow-up or attempts will be made to find one for them.

Exclusion criteria:

These criteria ensure the exclusion of suspected COPD patients and patients who require different treatments:

  1. Patients with asthma who are primarily cared for by a Respirologist/Pulmonologist;
  2. Patients not seen by an emergency physician in the ED (e.g., direct referrals);
  3. Physician diagnosis of acute COPD (e.g., failure of FEV1 or PEF to respond to ED treatment and a FEV1/FVC ratio ≤ 70%);
  4. Radiologically confirmed pneumonia during the 10 days preceding trial entry;
  5. Patients with an active history of bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, or lung cancer;
  6. Clinically confirmed congestive heart failure at ED presentation;
  7. Patients not able/unwilling to perform spirometry assessment;
  8. Inability to provide informed consent or comply with the study protocol due to cognitive impairment, language barrier, or no contact details;
  9. Patient has previously participated in the study;
  10. Patients who in the opinion of the investigator are unsuitable for enrolment.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Control - usual care (UC)
Usual care after an ED visit for asthma will include the provision of discharge instructions/plan, and action plan, and verbal instructions for follow-up with their PCP, and a faxed copy of the ED chart to the patient's PCP.
Behavioral: Usual care
Usual care provided to asthma patients when discharged from the ED
Experimental: Opinion leader (OL) guidance to patients' PCPs
In addition to UC, OL guidance will be provided to the patients' PCP. A letter signed by an influential, respected, and local clinical leader (Respirologist) will encourage follow-up within two weeks and provide management suggestions.
Behavioral: Usual care
Usual care provided to asthma patients when discharged from the ED
Behavioral: Opinion Leader letter
The patients' PCP will be notified by fax about the ED visit and management. The Opinion Leader letter will contain a summary of the current asthma guidelines for ambulatory care (including: asthma education, long-term recommendations, smoking cessation, and action plan) signed by a local opinion leader. A review of the patient's management within a week of the ED visit will be recommended. The patient will also receive information regarding their acute exacerbation and will be told to review the current management of their disease with their PCP.
Experimental: Care manager education to patients
In addition to UC and OL guidance provided to the patients' PCP, care manager self-management education will be provided to patients. A care manager will encourage patients' to pursue follow-up, provide management review and offer brief education via telephone within a week of being discharged.
Behavioral: Usual care
Usual care provided to asthma patients when discharged from the ED
Behavioral: Opinion Leader letter
The patients' PCP will be notified by fax about the ED visit and management. The Opinion Leader letter will contain a summary of the current asthma guidelines for ambulatory care (including: asthma education, long-term recommendations, smoking cessation, and action plan) signed by a local opinion leader. A review of the patient's management within a week of the ED visit will be recommended. The patient will also receive information regarding their acute exacerbation and will be told to review the current management of their disease with their PCP.
Behavioral: Involvement of a care manager
The involvement of a care manager will encourage patients' to pursue follow-up, provide management review and offer brief education via telephone within a week of being discharged

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Relapses within 90 days after discharge
Time Frame: 90 days
Any unscheduled medical visit to a walk-in clinic, family doctor's office or an emergency department resulting from the patient's perceived need for further asthma treatment within 90 days after discharge.
90 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Time to relapse
Time Frame: 90 days
Time from Emergency Department (ED) discharge to first asthma relapse.
90 days
Primary care provider follow-up
Time Frame: 30 days
A patient having a face-to-face meeting with their PCP within 30 days after discharge. Telephone interactions with the office will be classified as "no PCP follow-up".
30 days
Health related quality of life (HRQoL)
Time Frame: Baseline, 30 and 90 days
A disease specific, validated instrument for asthma patients (AQLQ) will be used. We will also employ the EQ-5D.
Baseline, 30 and 90 days

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Alberta

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Brian H Rowe, MD, MSc, University of Alberta
  • Principal Investigator: Cristina Villa-Roel, MD, MSc, University of Alberta
  • Principal Investigator: Eddy Lang, MD, University of Calgary
  • Principal Investigator: Mohit Bhutani, MD, University of Alberta
  • Principal Investigator: Bjug Borgundvaag, MD, University of Toronto
  • Principal Investigator: Sumit Majumdar, MD, MSc, University of Alberta
  • Principal Investigator: Christopher McCabe, PhD, University of Alberta
  • Principal Investigator: Rhonda Rosychuk, PhD, University of Alberta

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2012

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 1, 2016

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 1, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 1, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 2, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 21, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 17, 2016

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • CIHR operating grant # 201109
  • CIHR Grant (Other Grant/Funding Number: CIHR 201109 Operating Grant (MOP 119354))

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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