Pharmacist provision of language-appropriate education for Asian patients with asthma.
OBJECTIVE
To improve asthma treatment outcomes in Asians living in Seattle and for whom English is a second language.


METHODS
Pre-post design.


METHODS
International Community Health Services, Seattle, Washington.


METHODS
Asians older than 18 years with asthma and whose native language was not English.


METHODS
Pharmacists or pharmacy students provided oral and written asthma education in the subject's native language.


METHODS
Self-reported use of valve-holding chambers and peak flow meters; self-reported asthma symptoms at baseline and 6 months after intervention; number of acute asthma-related (non-routine, non-follow-up) clinic visits during the 6 months before and after the intervention.


RESULTS
Thirty-two subjects, aged 42 to 88 years, participated. Subjects demonstrated a reduction in mean number of asthma attacks (3.7 to 1.0, P < .001) and night awakenings (1.4 to 0.3, P < .001). Patient satisfaction with the program was excellent. Spacer and peak flow meter use increased from 7 to 18 subjects (P < .001) and 1 to 14 subjects (P < .0002), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Language-appropriate asthma education improved treatment outcome for patients whose native language was not English.
Odegard
Peggy Soule
PS
School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Health Sciences Building, Room H361B, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. podegard@u.washington.edu
Lam
Annie
A
Chun
Alan
A
Blough
David
D
Li
Marie Ann
MA
Wu
Jeremy
J
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010595:Pharmacists; D014481:United States; D014825:Vocabulary; D000078329:Workforce