Information technologies and guideline implementation for asthma.
In chronic diseases like asthma, health professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists) need to be able to share and exchange information. This helps them give the proper care for their patient. New evidence about diseases is always coming out, and computers can help doctors stay up-to-date. They can use this information to improve their practice and give better care to their patients.
There are different types of computer tools and systems that can help. Some track patient information and give reminders for follow up care. Others give suggestions for treatment based on information put in the system by the doctor. There are also more complex systems that can seek out patient information and give suggestions based on it.
There has not been enough research to see if these computer systems improve a patient's health. Also, few of these systems have been tested with family doctors. Our study will test a computer system for asthma with family doctors and see how this can affect patients living with asthma.