LAUSR

Dear Editor We would like to congratulate Snyder et al. on their primary asthma education initiative. Multiple studies have confirmed that improved asthma education can reduce hospital admissions. In the U.K, like most western countries, asthma is common, affecting on average three children in every classroom. The UK has one of the highest prevalence’s, emergency admissions and death rates for childhood asthma and many of these acute asthma admissions are thought to be avoidable (1). The article by Snyder et al. recommends a multidisciplinary approach with face-to-face family education as the cornerstone of its success. The innovative use of health care professionals including pharmacy students and medical assistants in delivering asthma education is vital. Engaging children at school is a readily available and valuable opportunity to provide education aimed at ultimately reducing asthma related hospital admissions. Indeed, there is good evidence to suggest that peer-topeer schemes within schools are an effective education tool (2). Motivated and clinically supervised medical students are an enthusiastic and capable resource to improve asthma awareness in children. Medical students are often keen to volunteer and gain experience that improves their ability to build meaningful relationships with their future patients. Performing this education in schools has two key benefits: first, the patients are already in an educational setting and are therefore primed to learn; second, there is an opportunity to educate the peers of asthmatics thereby reducing the stigma of asthma. Asthma InnovationResearch (AIR) is a charity that has developed an innovative school asthma awareness programme, pioneered at UCL medical school, London, UK.