Implementation of the School-based Asthma Therapy Program

"For schools randomized to implementing SBAT, the program will include the components already available in comparison (usual care) schools (asthma symptom screening forms, access to telemedicine visits, and protocol for initiating DOT), as well as the following elements that will be facilitated with the support of an implementation team:~* Telemedicine asthma visits through school with primary care and/or specialist providers to prescribe needed initial medication as well as medication step-ups for DOT school-based DOT of preventive asthma medications~* Follow-up telemedicine asthma control assessments~* Centralized case management support~* Care coordination"

During student health services orientation, the SBAT team will recommend school-based DOT for all children with persistent or poorly controlled asthma, and will provide a simple asthma screening survey to assess symptoms and a written protocol for initiating DOT. Telemedicine visits and DOT are available for all children in the school district, but the implementation team will not help to facilitate these components within the usual care schools.