Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2002 Apr 27;324(7344):1003-5.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.324.7344.1003.

A qualitative study of action plans for asthma

Jo Douglass  1 , Rosalie Aroni, Dianne Goeman, Kay Stewart, Susan Sawyer, Frank Thien, Michael Abramson
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

A qualitative study of action plans for asthma

Jo Douglass et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the perspectives of patients with asthma on the use of an action plan and the implementation of this plan during an asthma attack that culminated in a visit to an emergency department.

Design: Qualitative study.

Setting: Tertiary teaching hospital, suburban hospital, and rural hospital.

Participants: 62 patients aged 18 to 69 years who presented to an emergency department with asthma over a two month period.

Results: 29 participants described having action plans given to them by their doctors. Most patients with action plans reinterpreted their plan from the perspective of their own experiences with asthma. 33 patients did not have an action plan, the most common reason being that they had not been given one by their doctor. Some occupational groups were significantly less likely to have been given an action plan by their doctor than others. Most patients with an action plan found them useful for management of their asthma.

Conclusions: Action plans were viewed positively by patients. Participants modified their prescribed plan according to their experience of asthma. To facilitate the implementation of a prescribed action plan, doctors need to acknowledge and include the patient's personal experience of their disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Patients with action plan for asthma
Figure 2
Figure 2
Patients without action plan for asthma
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. National Asthma Council Australia. Asthma management handbook 2002. South Melbourne: NACA; 2002.
    1. British Thoracic Society. British Guidelines on Asthma Management. Thorax. 1997;52 (suppl 1):1–21S. - PubMed
    1. Global Initiative for Asthma. Asthma management and prevention: a practical guide for public health officials and health care professionals. Imperial College, London: GINA; 2001.
    1. Gibson PG, Coughlan J, Wilson AJ, Abramson M, Bauman A, Hensley MJ, et al. Cochrane Library. Issue 2. Oxford: Update Software; 2000. Self-management education and regular practitioner review for adults with asthma. - PubMed
    1. Abramson M, Bailey M, Couper F, Driver J, Drummer OH, Forbes A, et al. Are asthma medications and management related to deaths from asthma? Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;163:12–18. - PubMed

Publication types