ABSTRACT
The reported increases in morbidity and mortality from asthma over the past two decades, particularly in poor communities of color, have not been adequately explained (1-3). Lack of access to primary health care has been hypothesized to contribute to the increased risk of asthma morbidity and mortality (4,5). This chapter will explore the relationships between emergency department (ED) visits and access to primary care and the complex interactions of these two phenomenon in patients with asthma.
