Person-centred care for children with asthma using non-health care community resources: The SCORE Programme

Asthma is the most common condition in childhood, affecting one in 10 children in the UK. The UK has the highest mortality and hospitalisation rates from childhood asthma in Europe.

There is a need to improve the fundamental elements of asthma management that are often neglected. These include ensuring a child understands how to use an inhaler, and has a personalised action plan to follow during an asthma attack.

The current model of health care for asthma is neither person-centred nor holistic. Care for children with asthma is focused on medications and prevention of illness, rather than achieving personalised goals.

This project, run jointly by Alder Hey Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group, will evaluate the real-world effectiveness of a health care model that empowers children with asthma to understand their asthma, self-manage it, and participate in activities.

A six-month programme for children with poorly controlled asthma will be delivered. It will comprise an initial consultation to set goals and optimise medical treatments. The children will then enter a four-week peer group programme led by allied health professionals. The sessions will include understanding asthma, maximising asthma control and how to share in decisions about your health care.

There will also be two eight-week blocks of activity delivered by community-based non-health care partners. These could include football, dance, yoga, and arts and crafts.

The team is aiming to run the programme for 90 children with asthma, and evaluate clinical endpoints and empowerment.

Contact information

For more information about this project, please contact Dr Ian Sinha, Consultant Respiratory Paediatrician/ Honorary Senior Lecturer in Child Health, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.