Clinical practice improvement: management of the patient with chronic asthma.

Clinical practice improvement (CPI) includes research on practice patterns, access, utilization of resources, and patient perceptions of outcomes; development of practice guidelines; and education of both patients and providers. Using the CPI format, a team of healthcare professionals selected the management of the asthma patient as a project. The team's goals were to evaluate current practice patterns, review and recommend practice guidelines, recommend indicators to monitor patient outcomes and changes in practice patterns, and provide recommendations for implementing educational activities. A survey mailed to primary care physicians and selected specialists (allergists and pulmonologists) was used to determine present methods of managing asthma. A patient outcomes survey tool was piloted as part of the CPI process. The pilot indicated that this tool was appropriate for use in physician offices for both longitudinal and aggregate analysis of asthma patient outcomes. Patient and provider educational materials were developed and disseminated to providers.