[Information seeking and decision making in asthmatic patients]

Abstract

Patient cooperation in controlling asthma is a key element for achieving the most efficient therapy possible according to current guidelines. Cooperation requires that the patient be adequately informed about his disease and able to make certain decisions. The aim of this study was to analyze whether patients really desire information about asthma and to what point they are disposed to cooperate actively in managing their disease. Ninety-five adult asthmatics with different levels of severity of disease were studied in stable condition. All responded to the Spanish version of the questionnaire on autonomy in asthma, an instrument with a scoring range of 0 to 100 and 26 items grouped in two subscales: preferences in the search for information (PSI) and preferences in decision making (PDM). The second subscale was based on three scenarios describing stable asthma, slight exacerbation and severe exacerbation. The results obtained indicate that although patients are greatly interested in receiving information (PSI scores of 86.4 +/- 8.7) they express substantially less desire to make decisions (PDM 45 +/- 10.2) (p < 0.01). Attitudes did not change in relation to education, number of exacerbations during the last year, duration of disease or severity as assessed by the patient. Only patient age (with older patients scoring higher on PSI) and presence of severe asthma (according to consensus guidelines) increased the desire for information (but not the preference for decision making). These data indicate the need to implement educational programs about asthma, components of which promote effective desire for self-management.