Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 26, 2026
Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Severe Asthma
Published on: November 4, 2010
Asthma management programs for primary care providers: increasing adherence to asthma guidelines
1University of Connecticut Health Center, Asthma Center, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Connecticut, USA.
Insights
Primary care clinicians need simpler asthma guidelines and better support systems. Utilizing technology and expanded care teams can improve guideline adherence and reduce childhood asthma morbidity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Primary Care Medicine
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Guideline-adherent care is crucial for managing childhood asthma.
- Primary care clinicians face challenges in implementing complex asthma guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review new approaches for increasing guideline-adherent asthma care by primary care clinicians.
- To identify facilitators, barriers, and opportunities for improving asthma care quality.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of new approaches to asthma guideline implementation.
- Analysis of facilitators and barriers reported in primary care settings.
Main Results:
- Clinicians desire transparent, user-friendly guidelines for complex pediatric asthma patients.
- Decision support tools, electronic technologies, and expanded care teams (e.g., community health workers, pharmacists) show promise.
- Clinician burnout and workflow integration issues are significant barriers.
- Intervention cost and scalability are concerns.
Conclusions:
- Simplifying guidelines, integrating decision support tools, and leveraging technology are key.
- An expanded medical team can enhance the quality of asthma care for children.
- Addressing primary care workflow and resource limitations is essential for successful implementation.
Purpose Of Review:
This article reviews new approaches, facilitators, barriers, and opportunities to increasing guideline-adherent care for children with asthma by primary care clinicians.
Recent Findings:
Primary care clinicians are challenged by the volume of guidelines and want transparent guidelines that are easy to use and that can be used in complex patients with multiple comorbidities. Programs that use decision support tools and electronic technologies and provide support from individuals new to the medical home such as panel management assistants, community health workers, patient advocates, practice facilitators, school nurses, and pharmacists may enhance use of guidelines by primary care clinicians and reduce asthma morbidity. Primary care clinician burnout and difficulty incorporating electronic asthma decision tools into current workflow are recently recognized barriers to guideline integration and improved asthma outcomes. In addition, many of these interventions are labor intensive, costly and may not be capable of being widely disseminated.
Summary:
Programs that simplify guidelines, provide decision support tools and use electronic technologies and an expanded medical team may improve the quality of asthma care provided by the primary care community to children and their families with asthma.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Asthma-IV: Nursing Management
First, in...
01:30Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management
Clinical Assessment for Asthma:
This is the first step in diagnosing and managing asthma. It includes:
01:20Asthma: Pathogenesis and Management
Asthma is classified as allergic and non-allergic. Allergens such as dust mites, pollen, and pet dander trigger allergic asthma, while factors like cold air, intense emotions, or exercise can induce non-allergic asthma.
01:29Asthma-I: Introduction
01:29Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-V: Management
Smoking Cessation
01:25Antiasthma Drugs: Mast Cell Stabilizers and Anti-IgE Drugs
Mast cell stabilizers, such as cromolyn (also known as sodium cromoglycate) and nedocromil (Tilade), are effective drugs in asthma management. These stabilizers hinder histamine release by skillfully obstructing the activation of mast cells and other cellular entities. Notably, they navigate this task without...