Abstract
Asthma prevalence has increased, becoming a health and economic problem, mainly due to poor control of the disease.
OBJECTIVES
To determine if PAMA implementation:
-Improves disease control and patients' quality of life
-Reduces number of exacerbations and emergency visits due to asthma
Secondary:
-To determine optimal PAMA application frequency
METHODS
A 3 years long RCT, in 10 urban primary care teams, to evaluate PAMA which includes: patient education: inhalation systems, exacerbation symptoms and treatment action plan, asthma control test (ACT), revision of patient's technique and delivery of behaviours to avoid list.
Data were collected in an interview with his doctor or nurse. Main data: age, gender, smoking status, asthma severity, treatment, exacerbations, hospital admissions, ACT and quality of life test (mini-AQLQ).
BASELINE RESULTS
498 asthmatic patients were included and randomized into 3 intervention groups: I: PAMA application every 6 months:124; II: every 12 months:120; III: every 18 months:115 and control group: (usual management):139.
Average age 49 years old (SD 16.4). 72% women. 36.9% had intermittent asthma, and 40% moderate persistent, 24.1% presented partially controlled and 5.8% uncontrolled asthma.
47% had no follow-up visits and 51.4% presented exacerbations in the last year with 0.7(SD 1.1) average emergency visits for patient, 55.7% were attended in primary care and 30.9% solved with self-management or phone instructions. Average ACT scoring: 20.9(SD 4.2) and mini-AQLQ: 5.7(SD 1.1).
CONCLUSIONS
The implementation of an educational program with scheduled follow-up visits can reduce the exacerbations as well as improve the asthma control and quality of life.
- © 2014 ERS
