Asthma education disparities in primary care, 2007-2010

Background Asthma education can be a critical component in the treatment of patients diagnosed with asthma. It often covers numerous aspects including recognition of triggers, proper medication/inhaler use, and written asthma action plans. Recent research suggests that health disparities among asthmatic patients persist. Methods This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study of pediatric and adult patients with asthma who participated in the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) during 2007-2010. Patients were included in this study if they were seen by a pediatrician, family practitioner, or an internal medicine physician and had a diagnosis of asthma. Weighted chi-square tests were used to investigate factors of interest, and weighted multivariate logistic regression modeling was performed to identify statistically significant independent predictors of asthma education. Results Among the 1,590 patients included in this study, 31% received asthma education. The percentage of visits with asthma education provided in 2009-2010 (29.7%) compared to 2007-2008 (32.1%) was not statistically significant (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.7-1.1). In a multivariate model, physician specialty and ethnicity were significant predictors of asthma education. Pediatricians were more likely than internal medicine physicians to deliver asthma education (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.2-7.0). Hispanic/Latino patients were more likely than non-Hispanic/Latino patients to receive asthma education (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.3-4.9). Conclusions The percentage of patients that receive asthma education continues to be low and appears to be trending downward. Patient ethnicity and physician specialty are significantly associated with the provision of asthma education.