The free Asthma Learning Tool (a.k.a Asthma Quiz) teaches the basic aspects of asthma care In 30 minutes. It has been used for review by office nurses, public health nurses, nurse practitioners, school nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists and asthma case managers. Nursing and nurse practitioner students have used it in their formal training programs.
Print the Asthma Learning Tool (ALT) and answer as many questions as you can. When you are finished, read One Minute Asthma: What You Need to Know to answer any questions that you could not answer the first time. This look up is a learning experience. If you don't have a copy of the 7th edition of One Minute Asthma (click here to order), print the answer sheet to find the answers to the questions you missed. (Answer Sheet in English - Answer Sheet in Spanish).
Evaluate the Asthma Learning Tool
Once you have completed the ALT, please take two minutes to fill out the online survey.
Report on the Asthma Learning Tool
Background. The Asthma Learning Tool was designed to help staff learn basic facts about asthma. The object of this study was to learn whether participants increased their knowledge in a time-effective manner.
Method. Participants downloaded the Asthma Learning Tool from www.pedipress.com, or received a hard copy from a colleague. They used the Asthma Learning Tool, then looked up the answers in One Minute Asthma: What You Need to Know.
Results. A total of 130 nurses, student nurses, pharmacists, doctors, patients and parents in 12 states used the Asthma Learning Tool to find out what they knew and what they needed to learn. Median time for using the Asthma Learning Tool was 30 minutes with a range of 5 to 75. Median time for looking up the answers was 20 minutes with a range of 5 to 90. Ninety-eight percent of those who answered said it was worth the time they spent. Almost all named at least one thing they learned that would help them teach others or care for their own asthma. Some of their responses follow:
- Signs of asthma,
- Ways to reduce/control triggers,
- Effects of a trigger can last longer than a week,
- Triggers add up,
- Triggers include sinusitis, cold air, laughing and crying,
- Definition of asthma control,
- Place stuffed animals in freezer to kill dust mites,
- Different kinds of medicines and what each is used for,
- If you have bronchitis or pneumonia more than once a year, it is probably asthma,
- Symptom management,
- MDI types, how to use, how tell when to replace,
- Who should use a holding chamber with a face mask,
- Importance of keeping a diary,
- Asthma action plans and treatment zones,
- Asthma action plans that have a high and low yellow zone are more useful than those with a single yellow zone,
- Improved my ability to help patients perceive their asthma severity,
- Low peak flow score should not be attributed to poor technique,
- Breathe in longer than exhale when using compressor driven nebulizer,
- Purified albuterol is less likely to cause prolonged hyper-responsiveness.
Almost all participants were motivated to engage in further study.
Conclusions. Staff and patients at all levels of asthma knowledge who used the Asthma Learning Tool learned new concepts or facts in a time-effective manner. |
