BETHESDA, MD--(Marketwire - September 3, 2010) - GetWellNetwork, Inc. today introduced a new pediatric Asthma Care Plan for children's hospitals, available now through GetWell Town™. The Asthma Care Plan helps improve patient outcomes by engaging patients and their families by teaching them to successfully manage the disease at home, leading to fewer hospital stays and emergency department visits. The GetWell Town Asthma Care Plan is immediately available.
Pediatric asthma is the most common chronic condition among children under 18, affecting more than 6 million children according to the American Lung Association. It has costly effects for both parents and children, costing nearly $719 million in parents' loss of productivity and asthma related school absences(1). At the same time, it is a condition that can be managed successfully with proper education and care plan.
"We are truly excited about launching the GetWell Town Asthma Care Plan. The Asthma Care Plan enables care providers to easily involve children and families in a comprehensive educational program that will be instrumental in preparing them to effectively manage their condition at home," said Sandra Marken, director of nursing pediatrics, Cardon Children's Medical Center. "We believe that actively engaging children and families in this care plan will result in a decrease of readmissions within 30 days post discharge."
The new GetWell Town Asthma Care Plan engages parents and children starting at day of admission. It leverages award-winning asthma education videos from KidsHealth® to educate patients on key concepts that prepare them for managing their condition at home. The Asthma Care Plan introduces information about the disease in four phases:
- Phase One: Patients are introduced to the basics of asthma and begin their in-patient education curriculum.
- Phase Two: Children learn about medications and tools that help manage their condition, and the common triggers to avoid such as second-hand smoke.
- Phase Three: Patients and families are instructed on how to create a safe home environment and taught self-monitoring techniques to recognize signs and symptoms of potential flare-ups; their Care Team also checks-in to monitor their progress through the Asthma Care Plan.
- Phase Four: Patients learn about the take-home Asthma Management Plan and the importance of completing a plan of action before discharge. Patients and family members can also repeat any of the four phases and contact staff members for assistance throughout the learning process.
"The interactive Asthma Care Plan truly allows hospital staff to incorporate condition-specific education throughout the entire care process. By allowing patients and families to progress through the educational plan on their own, they are likely to receive important information at the right time in their hospital stay to better understand their condition and how to manage it," said Dr. Neil Izenberg, founder and editor-in-chief of KidsHealth. "We are excited that the comprehensiveness of the KidsHealth Asthma Care Suite fits so well into the GetWell Town Asthma Care Plan to create a standardized care plan for young asthma patients."
"We are honored to work with our GetWellNetwork Children's Hospital partners and KidsHealth to proactively engage patients and families in managing this condition post hospitalization," said Shannon O'Neil, director, pediatric product line, GetWellNetwork, Inc. "Further we are confident that young patients who successfully complete the GetWell Town Asthma Care Plan will be better prepared to enjoy active participation in home and school activities."
About KidsHealth®
KidsHealth creates engaging online, print, and video media about a wide range of health and family issues in English and Spanish. KidsHealth licenses online content, which can be private-labeled and displayed on a licensee's website. KidsHealth has a physician-directed, professional editorial staff -- and is the largest resource of online children's health, behavioral, and developmental information written for three distinct audiences: parents, kids, and teens. KidsHealth also creates KidsHealth in the Classroom, a free website for educators featuring standards-based health curricula, activities, handouts, and more. KidsHealth is part of Nemours, one of the nation's largest nonprofit pediatric health systems. For more information about KidsHealth, please visit www.kidshealth.org/mktg/intro/.
About GetWell Town
GetWell Town was developed in collaboration with GetWellNetwork's National Children's Hospital Task Force, comprised of 15 pediatric facilities across the U.S. as well as direct input from pediatric patients and their families. GetWell Town is designed to complement the kid-friendly spaces that children's hospitals have worked hard to create and features exclusive content in partnership with KidsHealth®, part of The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media.
About GetWellNetwork
GetWellNetwork, Inc. uses the bedside TV to entertain, educate and empower hospital patients and caregivers to be more actively engaged in their care. This patient-centered approach improves both satisfaction and outcomes for patients and hospitals. GetWellNetwork is the leader in interactive patient care solutions and exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association. More information about GetWellNetwork can be found at www.GetWellNetwork.com.
(1) Wang LY, Zhong Y, Wheeler L. "Direct and Indirect Costs of Asthma in School-Age Children." Preventing Chronic Disease, 2(1): [serial online], January 2005.
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