Are the components of the Asthma Management Plan important in managing childhood asthma? A survey of general practitioners.
OBJECTIVE
To gauge the importance and relevance placed by general practitioners on components of the National Asthma Campaign's 'Six step' Asthma Management Plan for childhood asthma.


METHODS
A cross sectional postal survey of a national randomised sample of 824 GPs.


RESULTS
Each component was considered to be 'quite' or 'very' important by at least 70% of respondents. All 11 components were rated to be either 'quite' or 'very' important by 44%, and 91% of respondents considered eight or more of the components to be 'quite' or 'very' important. Two characteristics were consistently associated with the rating of importance: gender, (women GPs generally showing higher ratings), and reported frequency of use of the Asthma Management Plan (frequent users rate importance more frequently).


CONCLUSIONS
There were high levels of endorsement of the Asthma Management Plan for children with asthma.
Kable
Sheree
S
School of Medical Practice and Population Health, University of Newcastle, New South Wales. sheree.kable@newcastle.edu.au
Henry
Richard
R
Ireland
Malcolm
M
Cockburn
Jill
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002983:Clinical Competence; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010821:Physicians, Family; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012494:Sampling Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents