The Certified Asthma Educator: The United States Experience

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare Workforce Studies
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Asthma significantly impacts US healthcare costs and patient quality of life, despite advances in treatment.
• Effective patient education is crucial for optimal asthma management.
• The National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB) was established to promote excellence in asthma education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the demographic and professional profile of the certified asthma educator (AE-C®) workforce.
• To identify the training backgrounds and practice settings of AE-Cs® undergoing recertification.
• To assess the impact of AE-C® certification on professional responsibilities.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous online survey was distributed to AE-Cs® who had completed the recertification process.
• Sixty-five out of 135 (48%) recertificants completed the survey.
• Data collected included primary training, demographics, work setting, and perceived changes in job responsibilities.

Main Results:

• Respondents' primary training was predominantly in respiratory therapy (51.6%) and nursing (42.2%).
• The AE-C® workforce is overwhelmingly female (92.3%) and Caucasian (95.4%).
• Most AE-Cs® work in outpatient specialty care (59.3%) or inpatient hospital settings (40.7%).
• Twenty percent of respondents reported increased job responsibilities post-certification.

Conclusions:

• The current AE-C® workforce, mainly trained in respiratory therapy and nursing, does not reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the US asthma population.
• There is a need to expand the asthma educator workforce to meet the demands of the growing number of individuals with asthma.
• AE-C® certification can lead to expanded job roles and responsibilities.