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Asthma patient education: current utilization in pulmonary training programs.
M W Peterson1, L Strommer-Pace, C Dayton
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA. michael-peterson@uiowa.edu
Summary
Most asthma clinics recognize patient education
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Medical Education
Background:
- National guidelines emphasize patient education for asthma management.
- The prevalence of formal asthma patient education programs in clinics is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the availability of asthma patient education programs in teaching hospitals.
- To identify barriers to program implementation and assess the feasibility of computer-based education.
Main Methods:
- Mail questionnaires were sent to 163 US training programs in pulmonary and critical care medicine.
- A 72% response rate was achieved, with 117 programs responding.
- Survey questions covered program availability, reasons for absence, and computer resource access.
Main Results:
- 64% of responding programs have a formal asthma patient education program, primarily in university settings.
- Lack of financial compensation and time constraints were cited as primary barriers by programs without education.
- 96% of programs with education found it effective; 85% would use computer-based programs if available.
Conclusions:
- Most training directors value asthma patient education, but cost and time are significant barriers.
- Computer-based asthma education is feasible and acceptable, potentially overcoming implementation challenges.
- Further development and integration of digital educational tools are recommended for asthma self-management.