Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK)

This project, known as “Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK),” tested the reliability and validity of a standardized questionnaire developed by AstraZeneca with the assistance of QualityMetric, and designed for parents/caregivers to complete as part of a physician’s assessment and monitoring of respiratory control problems in preschool aged children. Oversight of this project was conducted by Bradley Chipps, MD, FAAP, AAP principal investigator for this project.

Sites were selected on the basis of their experience in treating children with respiratory control problems and on the physician’s knowledge of asthma treatment management guidelines.  Within each site, the TRACK questionnaire was administered to a target of 20 to 25 caregivers of young children with current active respiratory problems, or a recent past history (in the last 12 months) of respiratory problems.  Those pediatricians selected to participate were required to complete a brief questionnaire to provide an overall rating of each child’s level of respiratory control on a three-point Likert-type rating scale.  The caregivers were then required to complete a self-administered questionnaire while in the physician’s office.  The caregiver questionnaire was designed to assess the child’s risk of persistent respiratory control problems and current level of respiratory control. 

Both the physician questionnaire and the caregiver questionnaire was administered twice, 4-6 weeks apart.  This time interval enabled an assessment of the responsiveness of the TRACK questionnaire to changes in respiratory control and symptoms, as well as of the test-retest reliability of the TRACK questionnaire in a subset of “stable” patients who showed no changes in respiratory control or symptom status from the baseline to follow-up assessments

We believe there were several benefits for participants involved in this cross-validation study.  Participants had the opportunity to:

1. Learn how to better identify pre-school age children at risk for respiratory control problems based on National Institutes of Health indicators.  If improvements are made in screening, children will be identified with respiratory control problems earlier, which may lead to better health and developmental outcomes.
2. Provide verbal input on the TRACK questionnaire prior to its dissemination nationally.
3. Participate in an evaluation of the TRACK tool’s responsiveness to changes in respiratory control status.
4. Offer to caregivers who participate through the follow-up visit remuneration of $50, to be paid by the study.
5. Receive remuneration to the site of $75 for each patient who completes the study, as reimbursement for your time spent in the follow-up visit.  Payment will be issued by AAP at the conclusion of the project.

Additional information about the project can be found here.

If you have any questions, please QuIIN staff at quiin@aap.org.