Shopping centre clinics can provide effective asthma care

Shopping centre healthcare clinics can provide effective care for people with asthma, according to a new study.

The research looked at whether there are differences in the asthma management given in a retail setting (a shopping centre) compared to a primary care setting (a health centre).

What did the study look at?

762 people in the USA took part in the study, which took place between August 2019 and March 2020. 381 people visited the shopping centre clinic and 281 visited a primary care setting. All people accessing care received an asthma control plan if they needed it. These plans outlined which medications to take, when to take them, and when to seek medical care.

The researchers looked at whether people accessing care in each centre had well controlled asthma. They monitored any visits to the hospital in the year after their visit to the clinic. They also collected information on the 6-month period before the visit took place.

What do the results show?

There was no significant difference in the number of people admitted to hospital between the retail setting and the primary care setting. There was also an increase in the number of people receiving an asthma action plan across both locations, compared to the 6 months before.

Why is this important?

This study provides evidence that health clinics within shopping centres can provide effective asthma management and that this care is equal to the care received in a primary care setting. This is one of the first studies to show this. As many people may find a retail clinic more convenient, this could help reach more people who need care. This could help control a person’s asthma and reduce the number of people who need emergency care or hospital visits.

Read the original research paper:

Title: Providing Asthma Management in the Retail Clinic Setting

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/21501319221092256