title: Care of asthmatics on discharge from hospital: a hospital audit.
abstract: The objective of this study was to audit the care of patients after discharge from hospital, following admission for acute severe asthma, using the British Thoracic Society guidelines (1) as a standard. Discharge prescriptions and questionnaires sent to patients at home were analyzed for 51 patients who had been admitted to a teaching hospital with acute severe asthma. Main outcome measures were Peak flow measurements, written instructions, prescription of steroids, and outpatient follow-up. Of the 34 patients responding to the questionnaires, 15 (44%) had no peak flow meter, 23 (68%) had no written instructions, 13 (38%) had no supply of oral steroids at home, and 32 (94%) were prescribed a beta-agonist regularly of whom 12 (35%) were not on an inhaled steroid. Four (9%) patients were not followed up as outpatients; appointments ranged from 2 to 56 days following discharge. In over 60% of asthmatic patients discharged from hospital the guidelines recommended by the British Thoracic Society were not followed. The method used is an inexpensive, efficient way of auditing hospital practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therepeutics, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, England.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Schilling
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Hurding
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Maddocks
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012955:Societies, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom