Helping Improve Pediatric Practice Outcomes Study (HIPPO)

Rapid-cycle Improvement

The four Boston practices saw measurable results from their work. One such practice completed a multi-step intervention aimed at fostering a partnership with parents and patients who had seasonal asthma symptoms. This practice and others from the Boston area are now running meetings and continuing the improvement processes independently now that the HIPPO project has been completed.

The phase two PROS practices decided which aspect of care to improve and how to implement a change (eg, diagnosis, severity) after the first training session in Chicago in September 1998. The practices took part in bimonthly conference calls where they get the opportunity to share plans for implementation, talk about and suggest solutions to barriers, and discuss successful improvements. The second training session held in February 1999 in Boston stressed the physicians' role beyond prescribing the right medicines by strengthening his or her capacity to engage the family and the community in patient care. The emphasis included enhancing patient-doctor communication, as well as engaging the involvement of people outside the family who interact with the child. The partnership between the physician, family, and community is an important element in the patients' ability to manage their asthma. The PROS practices are continuing the improvement processes independently since the HIPPO project has ended

Overall, all 57 participating PROS practitioners have completed the study and returned Phase 1 data.

Fostering the Appropriate Diagnosis Study (FAD)

Thirty-five PROS practices were randomly recruited to participate in the main study. Fifty-six practitioners received study materials. Data collection began in November 1999 and concluded in June 2000. Thirty-four practitioners from 21 practices enrolled 612 eligible patients. The data have been analyzed and the final report was submitted to the funding agency (Merck Human Health Division) on August 31st.