Implementation of an Asthma Self-Management Education Guideline in the Emergency Department: A Feasibility Study

Patients often present to emergency departments (EDs) for the management of chronic asthma. Because of the nature of ED care, national guideline recommendations for asthma education are generally not initiated in the ED. There is evidence that asthma education can have a positive effect on patient outcomes (; ). This study examines the feasibility of implementing an asthma self-management guideline in a tertiary care center ED. Despite protocol utilization by physicians (87%), nurse practitioners and physician assistants (66.7%), and nurses (41.7%), total compliance with national guideline was accomplished in only 25.93% of cases. Barriers to protocol implementation included staff education, high workload, rapid turnover, and competing initiatives within the department. Linear regression analysis identified high daily census as a predictor of protocol noncompliance (p = 0.033).