Outcomes measurement for asthma following acute presentation to an emergency department.

The Asthma Management Plan (AMP) was developed by the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand in 1989 to provide a more uniform approach to asthma care, aimed at reducing mortality, morbidity and emergency presentations. The AMP is often supplemented with Asthma Clinical Pathways (CPs) within the emergency department and hospital setting. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of these two instruments on asthma outcomes one month after presentation to the emergency department. The AMP and CP were both found to have had positive influences on asthma management. However, the study illustrates that there continue to be problems with asthma management, which would be improved by a more consistent use of these instruments.