Articles: child.
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Best practice guidelines for asthma management recommend education and spirometry at specific intervals. A written asthma action plan with education and spirometry is ordered at the discretion of physicians at our institution. An initial chart review revealed that asthma education and spirometry were not consistently ordered in the pediatric primary care clinics. This quality improvement study aimed to increase frequency of spirometry and asthma education in children with asthma seen in pediatric primary care through use of a respiratory therapist (RT)-driven protocol. ⋯ Implementation of an RT-driven protocol in an out-patient pediatric primary care setting significantly increased utilization of spirometry and education for children with asthma. RTs working in the pediatric out-patient primary care setting played a vital role in achieving best practices for asthma management. The implementation of the protocol enhanced interdisciplinary communication.