Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Severe Asthma
Published on: November 5, 2010
Asthma: benchmarking for quality improvement
D A Stempel1, A M Carlson, D A Buchner
1Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Background:
Linked medical and pharmacy claims can be used to identify patients with asthma and benchmark current practice standards.
Method:
This was a 3-year study of five independent practice association style health maintenance organizations with an annual enrollment of 870,000. More than 28,000 members were identified with claims for asthma.
Objective:
The intent of this study was to benchmark current asthma practice. Before quality improvement projects can be implemented baseline data are required.
Results:
The prevalence of asthma varied by geographic regions. Specialty care was associated with greater use of anti-inflammatory medications and more refills of these drugs. Refill rates for inhaled corticosteroids for all patients was low. Specialty care of asthmatic members was associated with a lower rate of emergency service events and hospitalizations.
Conclusions:
Linked medical and pharmacy claims' databases can be used to benchmark current practice performance and serve as a reference for quality improvement programs. Appropriate use of specialty care may improve asthma outcomes.
Related Concept Videos
Asthma-I: Introduction
Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications
Classification of Asthma
Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management
Clinical Assessment for Asthma:
This is the first step in diagnosing and managing asthma. It includes:
Asthma-IV: Nursing Management
First, in...
Asthma I: Introduction
Asthma III: Clinical Manifestations

