Boosting Referrals to Asthma Specialists for Patients Seen at the Emergency Room for an Asthma Exacerbation

Summary

This study is testing a new way to help adults with asthma get follow up care after an emergency room (ER) visit for an asthma attack. Many people who come to the ER for asthma never see an asthma specialist afterward, even though specialists can offer treatments such as advanced inhalers or biologic medicines that may prevent future attacks.

The study will compare two approaches. One group will receive a telehealth appointment with an asthma specialist that is scheduled for them before they leave the ER. The other group will receive the usual care, which typically includes a standard referral but no scheduled appointment. All participants will be offered a prescription for standard controller medication at discharge.

The main question the study aims to answer is whether arranging a telehealth visit directly from the ER increases the number of patients who complete a follow up appointment with an asthma specialist within three months. The study will also look at whether this approach improves asthma control, reduces repeat ER visits, and helps patients better understand and use their asthma medications.

This research may help identify a practical way to improve access to asthma specialists and reduce the burden of asthma for patients who frequently rely on emergency care.

Conditions

• Asthma Attack
• Asthma Control
• Asthma Exacerbations
• Asthma

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

ER-Initiated Telehealth Referral

Participants assigned to the intervention arm will receive an asthma specialist follow up appointment that is scheduled directly from the emergency department before discharge. Emergency department staff will contact the specialist clinic to arrange a telehealth visit within 1-3 weeks. The telehealth visit will address asthma symptoms, medication use, and follow-up care needs. All participants, including those in the intervention arm, will be offered a prescription for standard inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta-agonist controller therapy at discharge. The intervention focuses on improving access to specialist care through proactive scheduling and telehealth delivery.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Tampa General Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• University of South Florida

  collaborator OTHER

• Sanofi

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• Juan Carlos Cardet

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Juan C Cardet, MD · University of South Florida

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-02-28

Primary Completion

2027-01-31

Completion

2027-04-30