Use of Information Technology to Improve Asthma Care in the Pediatric Population

In 1998, the Instituted of Medicine (IOM) Committee on the Quality of Health Care in America was asked to identify strategies for improving the quality of health care in the United States. This Committee identified the role of information technology (IT) as critical in creating a health care system capable of providing care that is "safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient, and equitable," (Ortiz & Clancy, 2003). This paper examines what evidence exists in the pediatric population to improve asthma care and reduce medical errors through the use of computer based CDS system, Web/Internet-based education, and asthma action plan tool with the Electronic Health Records (EHR) system. The literature has identified that information technology is used to: 1) improve clinician compliance with National Asthma Education Prevention Program (NAEPP) guideline and aid clinicians in making diagnostic and therapeutic decision, 2) reduce medical errors and improve patient safety in pediatric patient care, 3) aid two way communication between patients and families and clinicians and educate patients and their families to improve their knowledge and self-management of chronic asthma, 4) measure the effectiveness and efficiency on quality of pediatric asthma care by using a comprehensive EHR database. This literature review will provide analysis and recommendations for using information technology in pediatric asthma management.