Quality Improvement in Pediatric Emergency Department Asthma Care

Asthma is the most common chronic illness during childhood and significantly impacts all aspects of the health care system. Disconnects between the different facets of the health care system exist, leading to less than optimal quality of care. Improving the quality of care received by patients with asthma requires an understanding that systems-based changes are needed. Quality improvement efforts in pediatric asthma care delivery are described in 2 case examples: one involving hospital-wide metered dose inhaler use with phase out of nebulized mask treatment therapy and the second involving emergency department educational strategies.

Keywords: asthma, quality improvement, systems-based practice