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Suboptimal asthma control: prevalence, detection and consequences in general practice.
- Source :
-
The European respiratory journal [Eur Respir J] 2008 Feb; Vol. 31 (2), pp. 320-5. Date of Electronic Publication: 2007 Oct 24. - Publication Year :
- 2008
-
Abstract
- Telephone surveys describing suboptimal asthma control may be biased by low response rates. In order to obtain an unbiased assessment of asthma control and assess its impact in primary care, primary care physicians used a 1-page control questionnaire in 50 consecutive asthma patients. Of the 10,428 patients assessed by 354 physicians, 59% were uncontrolled, 19% well-controlled and 23% totally controlled. Physicians overestimated control, regarding only 42% of patients as uncontrolled. Physicians were more likely to report plans to alter the regimens of uncontrolled patients than controlled patients (1.29 versus 0.20 medication changes per patient) doing so in a fashion consistent with guideline recommendations. Of the uncontrolled patients, 59% required one or more urgent care or specialist visits versus 26 and 15% of well-controlled or totally controlled patients, respectively. Patients were more likely to report short-term symptom control when they had not required urgent or specialist care (odds ratio 5.68; 95% confidence interval 4.91-6.58). The majority of asthma patients treated in general practice are uncontrolled. Lack of control can be recognised by physicians who are likely to consider appropriate changes to therapy. A lack of short-term symptom control of asthma is associated with excess healthcare utilisation.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Aged
Asthma diagnosis
Attitude of Health Personnel
Chi-Square Distribution
Confidence Intervals
Cross-Sectional Studies
Family Practice trends
Female
Humans
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Odds Ratio
Office Visits statistics & numerical data
Ontario epidemiology
Patient Satisfaction
Practice Patterns, Physicians' statistics & numerical data
Prevalence
Respiratory Function Tests
Risk Assessment
Severity of Illness Index
Surveys and Questionnaires
Treatment Outcome
Anti-Asthmatic Agents therapeutic use
Asthma drug therapy
Asthma epidemiology
Bronchodilator Agents therapeutic use
Family Practice standards
Physician-Patient Relations
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1399-3003
- Volume :
- 31
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The European respiratory journal
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 17959642
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.00039707