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Pediatricians improved their knowledge of environmental triggers for asthma
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Pediatricians reported a significant improvement in knowledge of environmental triggers for asthma after presentations on triggers and follow-up, according to study results.
“Following a brief, targeted education intervention, physicians reported a significant increase in knowledge about environmental triggers of asthma and a willingness to incorporate exposure history questions and remediation recommendations in their routine practice,” the researchers wrote. “These improvements persisted at a 3- to 6-month follow-up interval when compared with baseline levels.”
The study included prematched and postmatched data responses from 367 participants and 3- to 6-month follow-up data from 83 participants. Seventy-seven percent of participants reported working in an urban inner-city environment.
Researchers found that 18% of participants were very familiar with The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines, which recommend environmental triggers be a component of asthma management; 47% were moderately familiar, 30% were somewhat familiar and 6% were unfamiliar.
According to researchers, at baseline, 59% of participants reported “expert” or “very good” knowledge about tobacco smoke exposure, and 27% to 41% reported “very good” or “expert” knowledge about cockroaches, dust mites, outdoor air pollution or indoor chemical use.
Participants also were surveyed on their environmental history-taking practices, recommendations and interventions. After the 3- to 6-month period, researchers found that there were significant increases for all categories, except only 11% of participants were likely to refer their patients to an asthma specialist always or most of the time.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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