Although asthma affects 6-10 percent of children aged 6-16 years, the prevalence of asthma in Hispanic groups and the degree of resulting morbidity were unknown in 1990. The study sought to answer the following questions: 1) Would a physician education intervention result in improved medical management for Hispanic children with asthma who were cared for within the context of an outpatient clinic? 2) Would a focused educational intervention for Hispanic children with asthma and their families result in decreased morbidity and improved quality of life? If effective, the physician education and patient education programs could serve as models for the implementation of similar programs in outpatient clinic settings which serve Hispanic children with asthma.