About Pedipress

Dr. Tom Plaut has always been interested in patient education and started preparing patient hand-outs in 1964, his first year as a pediatrician. He did this for his patients in Letcher County, Kentucky, South Bronx, New York and in Amherst, Massachusetts. Dr. Plaut believes that every parent wants to provide good care for their child and it is his job to help them take on as much responsibility as possible.

After Dr. Plaut had been in his Amherst practice for six years, he had written 60 handouts on asthma and 60 additional handout on other subjects. His first book is based on the asthma handouts and first person stories written by parents. Dr. Plaut believes that with the help of a competent physician, a knowledgeable parent can manage most asthma problems at home.

Dr. Plaut accomplished this goal by publishing high quality educational tools for parents, patients and professionals. According to  Albert L. Sheffer, M.D., Chairman, Expert Panel on Asthma, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, “Dr. Plaut's contributions to asthma education are clear, concise and accurate. They have set a new standard for excellence."

Pedipress books and diaries:

• Involve parents and patients in asthma care.
• Foster cooperation between parents and their physicians.
• Enable physicians to conduct more effective and efficient visits.

Pedipress books were the first in the nation to discuss peak flow, asthma diaries, asthma action plans and techniques for giving medicines. Three of our books were cited in the 1997 NHLBI Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. They are the only asthma books and diaries that are updated on a regular basis.

Children with Asthma: A Manual for Parents, was first published in 1984 and went through 20 printings before it was replaced by Dr. Tom Plaut’s Asthma Guide for People of All Ages. It was called the “asthma bible” by parents and physicians alike.

One Minute Asthma: What You Need to Know, written at the fifth grade level, is accessible to most Americans. It is more complete, current and accurate than most asthma books three times its size. It is the nation’s best selling asthma book with sales exceeding 1,700,000 copies in English and Spanish.

Dr. Tom Plaut’s Asthma Guide for People of All Ages is the 1999 replacement for Children with Asthma. Its contents are more comprehensive and current than books published in 2004. A March 2000 review in Respiratory Care referred to the Asthma Guide as “an asthma version of Dr. Spock’s care of the baby and child books.”

Asthma Charts and Forms for the Physician’s Office was developed by Dr. Plaut for use in his practice. These charts and forms save time and improve patient compliance in hundreds of practices. Includes CD for customizing forms.