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Asthma out of control? A structured review of recent patient surveys.

Asthma out of control? A structured review of recent patient surveys.
Asthma out of control? A structured review of recent patient surveys.
BACKGROUND : An understanding of the needs and behaviors of asthma patients is important in developing an asthma-related healthcare policy. The primary goal of the present review was to assess patient perspectives on key issues in asthma and its management, as captured in patient surveys.
METHODS : Local, national, and multinational asthma surveys were reviewed to assess patient perspectives, and where possible healthcare provider (HCP) perspectives, on key issues, including diagnosis, treatment, control, quality of life, and other patient-centered outcomes. Twenty-four surveys, conducted or published between 1997 and 2003 in Europe and North America, were included in this review. Substantial differences among studies prevented a formal meta-analysis; instead, data were pooled to allow for general comparisons and qualitative analysis.
RESULTS : The results indicate that patients' knowledge of the underlying causes of asthma and treatment options remains inadequate. Moreover, patients often tolerate poor symptom control, possess meager knowledge of correct drug usage, and display insufficient adherence to therapy. Many patients have a low expectation of receiving an appropriate therapy or of having a positive encounter with the HCP. Among HCPs, there is evidence of inadequate understanding of disease etiology and poor or unstructured communication with patients, resulting often in inaccurate assessment of disease severity. Moreover, patients often underreport their symptoms and severity, which in turn could lead to misclassification and undertreatment.
CONCLUSION : Improving patient education about the importance of achieving optimal asthma control, along with improved communication between patients and HCPs, emphasizing treatment options and optimal treatment of inflammation, may lead to better outcomes and improved asthma management in daily practice.
1471-2466
Holgate, Stephen T.
2e7c17a9-6796-436e-8772-1fe6d2ac5edc
Price, David
4dee6753-83c4-4b65-aa9d-f4e915018b57
Valovirta, Erkka
ef88c572-ca23-4dce-8026-0b0e142ab024
Holgate, Stephen T.
2e7c17a9-6796-436e-8772-1fe6d2ac5edc
Price, David
4dee6753-83c4-4b65-aa9d-f4e915018b57
Valovirta, Erkka
ef88c572-ca23-4dce-8026-0b0e142ab024

Holgate, Stephen T., Price, David and Valovirta, Erkka (2006) Asthma out of control? A structured review of recent patient surveys. BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 6 (Supp/1). (doi:10.1186/1471-2466-6-S1-S2).

Record type: Article

Abstract

BACKGROUND : An understanding of the needs and behaviors of asthma patients is important in developing an asthma-related healthcare policy. The primary goal of the present review was to assess patient perspectives on key issues in asthma and its management, as captured in patient surveys.
METHODS : Local, national, and multinational asthma surveys were reviewed to assess patient perspectives, and where possible healthcare provider (HCP) perspectives, on key issues, including diagnosis, treatment, control, quality of life, and other patient-centered outcomes. Twenty-four surveys, conducted or published between 1997 and 2003 in Europe and North America, were included in this review. Substantial differences among studies prevented a formal meta-analysis; instead, data were pooled to allow for general comparisons and qualitative analysis.
RESULTS : The results indicate that patients' knowledge of the underlying causes of asthma and treatment options remains inadequate. Moreover, patients often tolerate poor symptom control, possess meager knowledge of correct drug usage, and display insufficient adherence to therapy. Many patients have a low expectation of receiving an appropriate therapy or of having a positive encounter with the HCP. Among HCPs, there is evidence of inadequate understanding of disease etiology and poor or unstructured communication with patients, resulting often in inaccurate assessment of disease severity. Moreover, patients often underreport their symptoms and severity, which in turn could lead to misclassification and undertreatment.
CONCLUSION : Improving patient education about the importance of achieving optimal asthma control, along with improved communication between patients and HCPs, emphasizing treatment options and optimal treatment of inflammation, may lead to better outcomes and improved asthma management in daily practice.

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Published date: 30 November 2006

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 59319
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/59319
ISSN: 1471-2466
PURE UUID: 6d30b272-eb51-4a8f-8500-1d3e261a623d

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Date deposited: 02 Sep 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 11:15

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Author: David Price
Author: Erkka Valovirta

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