Adherence of primary care physicians in Aseer region, Saudi Arabia to the National Protocol for the Management of Asthma

To determine adherence of primary health care (PHC) physicians to the National Protocol for the Management of Asthma and barriers affecting adherence, we conducted a cross-sectional study in Aseer region, Saudi Arabia. Sixty-one PHC physicians completed self-administered questionnaires on the protocol recommendations. We also checked 212 medical records for adherence. Despite high awareness among the physicians, adherence to the protocol was low: perceived barriers included lack of essential medications, insufficient time and lack of training on the protocol. We recommend establishing a new strategy for effective training of PHC physicians on the protocol.