Pediatrician attitudes and practices regarding collaborative asthma education

Pediatric practices were surveyed in 10 regions of the country to determine physician attitudes and practices regarding approaches to asthma education. Many physician respondents thought that nurses were just as effective as physicians in providing asthma education. In almost all practices a physician was involved; in two thirds of practices, an allied health professional; and in almost half of practices (48%), a registered nurse was involved. The type of healthcare professional involved in education was not associated with percentage of patients with Medicaid insurance, practice ownership, or setting. Given the multidisciplinary approach to education in many pediatric practices, quality improvement efforts to enhance asthma education by pediatric practices could be further enhanced by directly involving allied health professionals who practice in primary care settings.