In reply
We appreciate the comments of Dr Packham, which remind us that optimal asthma management is a concern that crosses the boundaries of nations as well as clinical specialties. We agree with his points, and have some additional observations.
While pulmonary and allergy specialists achieved the best results in our study, it is important to emphasize that subspecialty certification alone is not synonymous with experience and expertise. Some specialists do not spend much time treating asthma, while some generalists have extensive experience. Furthermore, our study suggested that, regardless of training or experience, there were still potential deficiencies in practices across specialties.