Abstract
Background: Asthma Control Test (ACT) is a quick and easy tool that allows physicians to estimate the control of asthma symptoms. Previous studies showed that ACT can be self or physician-administered with similar results.
Aim: The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of instruction in the self-compilation of ACT and its difference with the physician-administered modality.
Methods: We enrolled 84 patients with asthma from those attending our outpatient clinic. We divided our population into 3 groups, according to their level of education: 1) low level (primary, middle school; n= 24, age 54.3±11.1), 2) middle level (secondary school; n=34, age 38.2±13.8) and 3) high level (university degree; n=24, age 44.8±14.7). All participants answered the questionnaire in both self- and physician-administered ways. Then, we calculated the parameter ΔACT, defined as the difference between physician-administered and self-administered ACT score. One-way ANOVA and two-tailed t-student test were used to assess differences of ΔACT among the groups.
Results: Patients with low and middle education level had higher mean ΔACT compared to individuals with high education level (2.17 and 2.15 vs 0.75, p<0.05 for both analysis).
Conclusions: Our data suggest that patients without high education levels tend to overestimate their perception of asthma symptoms. Thus, ACT should always be physician-administered in these asthmatic patients.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA3710.
This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2021