title: Gender differences in asthma experience and disease care in a managed care organization.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to describe gender differences in asthma in a managed care organization. We collected data from a patient survey, electronic administrative data, and hard-copy chart reviews. Women reported significantly lower general health status, more symptoms and greater severity of asthma, more activity limitations, more use of asthma-relieving medications, and more acute visits for asthma than men. Conversely, women tended to report better asthma care measures. These gender disparities warrant further study to support appropriate adjustment of clinical care and health-care-related services for women.
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente-Georgia, Research Department, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. amber.sinclair@kp.org
authors.forename: Amber H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.forename: Dennis D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Tolsma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006266:Health Education; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D044469:Racial Groups; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology