Multidisciplinary co-operation in primary care for asthmatic children

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Primary Care
• Pediatric Nursing

Background:

• Developing effective chronic disease education protocols requires interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Task division among healthcare providers is essential but lacks systematic approaches in existing literature.
• Primary care settings necessitate clear allocation of educational responsibilities for chronic conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a systematic technique for dividing educational tasks across different healthcare disciplines.
• To apply this technique to develop asthma education protocols for parents of young children (0-4 years).
• To evaluate the allocation of asthma education tasks to community nurses, general practitioners, asthma nurses, and child health center doctors.

Main Methods:

• A systematic technique was developed, linking task allocation to existing disciplinary conceptions and knowledge.
• The technique was applied to create protocols for asthma education in primary care for parents of asthmatic children.
• Task allocation to community nurses was assessed based on claimed tasks, interdisciplinary agreement, and knowledge sufficiency.

Main Results:

• Community nurses claimed several asthma education tasks, but their knowledge base was not always sufficient.
• Nurses who completed refresher courses demonstrated higher asthma knowledge levels.
• Increased experience with asthmatic children correlated with enhanced knowledge regarding asthma care.

Conclusions:

• The presented technique offers a structured approach to interdisciplinary task allocation in chronic disease education.
• Ensuring adequate and sufficient knowledge among healthcare providers, particularly nurses, is vital for effective asthma education.
• Continuing education and practical experience significantly improve healthcare providers' knowledge and competence in managing pediatric asthma.