Comparison of two forms of education for asthmatic patients

Abstract

Background: The education programs have demonstrated to be an important point in the management of asthmatic patients. The aim of the present study was to assess if an intensive group asthma education program was able to improve a simplified and individual asthma education program, both with a self-management plan included. Patients and method: A prospective randomised controlled trial was conducted over 12 months and 73 moderate-severe asthmatic patients were included. Patients were randomly assigned to control or study group. Patients in control group received individual and simplified education with a self-management plan and patients in study group attended an «asthma school» in small groups where they received a three hours education program in three weeks. The outcome measures were: number of hospital admissions, observation unit admissions, emergency visits and unscheduled general practice consultations. Knowledge, adherence to treatment, ability with inhaler devices, airway function, environmental control measures and quality of life. They were assessed at the beginning and the end of the study. Results: At the end of the study period the outcome of morbidity had improved in both groups but the number of observation unit admissions (p = 0.028) and unscheduled general practice consultations (p = 0.022) was substantially lower in study group. This group also demonstrated improvement in environmental control measures and better inhaler technique and knowledge (p = 0.007). In adherence, lung function or quality of life there were no differences between groups. Conclusions: In patients with asthma better results can be obtained with an intensive group asthma education program than with the individual and simplified program.