"In a perfect world, doctors know a lot about the science of treating asthma in children. But children with asthma live in the real world – where doctors can’t always control what they do or the circumstances of their lives.”

Dr. Michael Rich, director of Video Intervention/Prevention Assessment (VIA) at CMCH uses videotapes created by his patients to learn how their chronic illness is managed in real life.

“’What I do is hand a patient a video camcorder and say, teach me about asthma,’ Rich says. ‘I can tell them what the science says about asthma. What I cant tell them is what it does to them and their lives.’”