Diagnosis and management of asthma: Occupational health nurses' awareness and use of national consensus practice guidelines

A regional sample of members of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and the District of Columbia was surveyed prior to the publication of the Expert Panel Report on Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (time 1). The guidelines were disseminated directly to AAOHN members through an article in the AAOHN Journal and an annual convention plenary session presentation at which copies of the Report were distributed. They were disseminated indirectly through medical journals and government documents. A follow up survey of AAOHN members' familiarity with and use of the Expert Panel Report was conducted t year later (time 2). Of the total eligible sample of 570 persons, 325 (57.0%) responded at time 1. Of these, 232 (71.4%) responded at time 2. One year after publication, 31 (13.4%) of the nurses participating in the time 2 survey were aware of the Report, 16 (6.9%) reported having an available copy of the Report, 31 (13.4%) were familiar with the recommendations in the Report, 17 (7.3%) referred to the guidelines, and 34 (14.7%) based care on the guidelines. Multiple direct dissemination strategies of consensus guidelines to improve practice will be necessary if nurses' awareness and use are to be enhanced.