[Asthma followup in consultation]

Abstract

Development and application of guidelines for asthma management and prevention should prevent exacerbation, avoid hospitalisations, maintain an optimal lung function, and guarantee a good quality of life in asthmatic patients. Unfortunately, there is a gap between these objectives and the patient's perspectives because of difficulties to organise and deliver care with the issues of the health professional formation, patient education and compliance to chronic treatments. The objectives of the follow-up visit for asthmatic patients are three fold: check for the control of asthma, review and optimise medical treatment, and control asthma management skills. Self-monitoring based of symptoms and/or peak expiratory flow recordings coupled with a written action plan and regular medication review has been shown to significantly reduce exacerbation rate and allows a control of the disease.