Change in the use of and attitude to peak flow measurement among general practitioners in Northern Ireland between 1989 and 1994.
In 1994 we repeated a study first performed in 1989 to assess the change in general practitioners' use of and attitudes to peak flow measurement. Of 232 general practitioners surveyed, 199 (86%) and 192 (83%) responded in 1989 and 1994 respectively. The percentage who reported having patients using domiciliary peak flow monitoring rose form 58.3 (95% confidence limits 51.4 to 65.2)% to 97.9 (95.9 to 99.9)%. The percentage who reported 'usually' using peak flow measurements for the diagnosis and management of asthma rose from 81.9 (76.5 to 87.3)% to 93.2 (89.6 to 96.8)% and from 83.3 (78.1 to 88.5)% to 95.8 (92.9 to 98.7)% respectively. An unchanged proportion took peak flow meters on house calls. General practitioners have become more aware of the potential of peak flow measurements but are still unlikely to have a meter available to assess patients seen at home. They are therefore likely to be ill-equipped to manage acute exacerbations of asthma in this setting.
McKinley
R K
RK
Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Leicester, Leicester General Hospital.
Steele
W K
WK
D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005194:Family Practice; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009660:Northern Ireland; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires