I just got home from a hospital stay at CHEO for my asthma.
My family and I want to learn more about managing my asthma,
but I’d rather not have to go back to CHEO.
Is there another option?
Well, that's a great question.
And we have an answer that I think you're going to like.
At CHEO, children who have been admitted for asthma are eligible
for an in-depth education session with one of our experts.
Our study compared the experiences of children and families
who had attended the sessions in person compared to virtually by video.
We wanted to make sure that they received the same value from the sessions.
We interviewed 100 caregivers and children who had attended the sessions.
Half of them attended in person and half of them attended virtually.
We compared their experiences and their perceived knowledge
and confidence for managing asthma, like when to use asthma medications,
how to manage triggers in the environment, and what to do in emergencies.
We discovered that nearly all caregivers
felt their knowledge and confidence for managing asthma improved,
whether they attended the session in person or virtually.
Most people who
attended the virtual session said they preferred this option.
They felt it was safer as a way to avoid potential infection.
It was more accessible for more members of the family to attend
and was more convenient to access.
Based on this study, we now feel confident to continue offering virtual
asthma education to families at CHEO without compromising on quality of care.
In fact, we already have plans to extend
our asthma education to reach more families across Ottawa.
So stay tuned.