Educating school personnel about asthma.

Teachers, administrators, and other nonmedical personnel are frequently responsible for managing students with asthma during school hours. We determined that the school secretary is the most likely person to manage asthma at school. We developed an educational program for both nonmedical and medical school personnel entitled "Asthma Management in the Schools." A questionnaire designed to evaluate knowledge and obtain information about asthma care at school was mailed to participants several weeks before they attended the program and was administered again after the program was presented. Nonmedical personnel had lower mean preclass test scores than nurses, but mean postclass test scores were similar. Programs designed to improve asthma care in school should meet the needs of nonmedical personnel.