New research could have children breathing easier, according to Alberta Health Services.

Medical Director for the Child and Youth Clinical Network David Johnson says asthma is very common in children and can be difficult for doctors to treat.

"Asthma's one of the most common chronic diseases, but in children it's especially more common. And what makes it particularly difficult is that all kids with asthma don't have the same kind. There are different types and they respond differently to different types of medication."

Johnson says asthma is especially common in a child's first six years of life. AHS is beginning a rigorous study to determine whether giving family doctors a treatment guide app in electronic medical records will ensure the best evidence-based care for childhood asthma. Johnson says the goal of the treatment guide is prompting doctors to ask the best questions.

"The purpose of this study, the intent is that it will help the family physicians to ask the key, critical questions that will get at is it asthma? If so, what type of asthma? And then what sort of medications are best suited to that time?"

Johnson says there are different ways to treat the various types of asthma that many physicians are unaware of.

"Evidence about different kinds of asthma in young children is pretty new, and many family physicians aren't aware of that. So, this is really a distillation of all the best and latest evidence into a simple to use package designed to save them time."

A full provincial rollout is envisioned for the treatment guides, if the study is successful.

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