The link between practice nurse training and asthma outcomes

Abstract

This article details the results of a study undertaken to establish whether or not there is a link between the level of practice nurse training and clinical outcomes in asthma management. General practices within one health district voluntarily ‘opted in' to an asthma management initiative which involved clinical audit of 30 asthma patients. Thirty two (41%) practices submitted details on 954 asthma patients. Positive patient outcomes were associated with practices that had clinics organized by a specially trained asthma nurse (n=11). Fewer patients in this group suffered from asthma symptoms, they had fewer acute attacks, were given more aggressive short course systemic steroids and fewer patients lost days as a result of asthma, when compared with practices where the clinics were run by nurses who did not have the diploma qualification (n=14). The authors conclude that there is a strong case for recommending that all general practices should employ a nurse who has undertaken specialized training in asthma in order to improve patient management.