Asthma Education: Are Pediatricians Ready and Willing to Collaborate With Schools?

It has almost become a cliché to say that significant gaps remain between recommended and actual care for children with asthma despite the availability of evidence-based guidelines since 1991. Let's focus on the gap in providing asthma education. The Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma,¹  published in 2007, highlight “education for a partnership in asthma care” as 1 of the 4 major components of asthma management. The guidelines clearly recommend that providers educate patients and their caregivers about 4 major topics: basic facts about pathophysiology of asthma; correct usage of medications; techniques for monitoring symptoms; and the importance of avoiding triggers. In addition, the guidelines stress the use of multiple sites for asthma education. For children and adolescents, school is a logical place for some of this education to take place. School-based programs can provide education to children in a setting in which...