Education of adult patients at an "asthma school": effects on quality of life, knowledge and need for nursing

Abstract

The effect of education of adult asthma patients at a special "asthma school" was studied with regard to knowledge of the disease and its treatment and quality of life measured by leisure activities, social interaction and psychological well being. We also studied if there were any differences in number of days in hospital and emergency visits before and one year after the asthma-school. Patients were randomised to an intervention group (7 men and 13 women) and a control group (7 men and 11 women). The age-range was 22-66 yrs. Both groups answered the same standardized and quantified questionnaires on three occasions, before the start of the asthma school, after five months and after twelve months. Both groups increased their knowledge of the disease and how to treat it, with slightly better results in the intervention group. The self-assessments all showed that patients in the intervention group felt better than those in the control group. The number of days in hospital as well as acute visits to out patients clinics were reduced significantly after the asthma school. The intervention did not influence spirometric variables.