Innovative approaches within primary care are needed to reduce fragmented care, increase continuity of care, and improve asthma outcomes in children with asthma. Our objective was to assess the impact of coordinated team-based asthma care on unplanned asthma-related health care utilization. A multidisciplinary asthma team was developed to provide coordinated care to high-risk asthma patients. Patients received an in-depth diagnostic and family needs assessment, asthma education, and coordinated referral to social and community services. Over a 2-year period, 141 patients were followed. At both 1 and 2 years postintervention, there was a significant decrease from preintervention rates in urgent care visits (40%, P = .002; 50%, P < .0001), emergency department visits (63%, P < .0001; 70%, P < .0001), and inpatient hospitalization (69%, P = .002; 54%, P = .04). Our coordinated asthma care program was associated with a reduction in urgent care visits, emergency department visits, and inpatient hospitalizations among high-risk children with asthma.

Objective Digital voice assistant technology provides unique opportunities to enhance clinical practice. We aimed to understand factors influencing pediatric providers' current and potential use of this technology in clinical practice. Methods We surveyed pediatric providers regarding current use and interest in voice technology in the workplace. Regression analyses evaluated provider characteristics associated with voice technology use. Among respondents not interested in voice technology, we elicited individual concerns. Results Among 114 respondents, 19 (16.7%) indicated current use of voice technology in clinical practice, and 51 (44.7%) indicated use of voice technology for nonclinical purposes. Fifty-four (47.4%) reported willingness to try digital voice assistant technology in the clinical setting. Providers who had longer clinic visits (odds ratio [OR], 3.11, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04, 9.33, p = 0.04), fewer patient encounters per day (p = 0.02), and worked in hospital-based practices (OR, 2.95, 95% CI, 1.08, 8.07, p = 0.03) were more likely to currently use voice technology in the office. Younger providers (p = 0.02) and those confident in the accuracy of voice technology (OR, 3.05, 95% CI, 1.38, 6.74, p = 0.005) were more willing to trial digital voice assistants in the clinical setting. Among respondents unwilling or unsure about trying voice assistant technology, the most common reasons elicited were concerns related to its accuracy (35%), efficiency (33%), and privacy (28%). Conclusion This national survey evaluating use and attitudes toward digital voice assistant technology by pediatric providers found that while only one-eighth of pediatric providers currently use digital voice assistant technology in the clinical setting, almost half are interested in trying it in the future. Younger provider age and confidence in the accuracy of voice technology are associated with provider interest in using voice technology in the clinical setting. Future development of voice technology for clinical use will need to consider accuracy of information, efficiency of use, and patient privacy for successful integration into the workplace.

There is growing emphasis on using patient-reported outcome measures to enhance clinical practice. This study was a retrospective review of scores on the Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT) and the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (PSC-17) at a pediatric primary care center in Boston, Massachusetts. A total of 218 patients were selected at random using billing codes for well-child (WC) care and asthma, excluding complex medical conditions. Cutoff scores were used to identify uncontrolled asthma (C-ACT ⩽19) and clinically significant psychosocial symptoms (+PSC-17). Multiple logistic regression was used to measure associations between C-ACT ⩽19 and +PSC-17, adjusting for covariates. In multivariable analysis, C-ACT ⩽19 at WC visits was associated with +PSC-17 at WC visits (adjusted odds ratio = 3.2 [95% confidence interval = 1.3-8.6]). C-ACT ⩽19 at non-WC visits was also associated with +PSC-17 at WC visits (adjusted odds ratio = 3.1 [95% confidence interval = 1.2-8.9]). Patient-reported outcome measures of asthma control and psychosocial symptoms were positively correlated in this sample.