Features of asthma management: quantifying the patient perspective.
BACKGROUND
In the management of asthma, features of care important to patients may not be fully appreciated. This study quantifies the importance of different features of asthma management from the patient perspective. This may assist in the development of personalised management strategies.


METHODS
We used the technique of discrete choice experiment (DCE). Patients over 18 years of age with asthma, prescribed and taking medicine at step 3 of the UK guidelines were recruited from 15 general (family) practices in three areas of the UK. 147 evaluable questionnaires were returned from a total of 348 sent out. The outcome measures were the relative importance to patients of features of asthma management and the impact of changes in asthma management, as measured by utility shift between the features tested.


RESULTS
The largest shift in mean utility values was recorded in "number of inhalers" and "use of inhaled steroid". Use of a personal asthma action plan was ranked next highest.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that adults with moderate or severe asthma would trade some improvements in symptom relief in favour of, for example, simpler treatment regimens that use as few inhalers as possible and a lower dose of inhaled steroid.
University of Aberdeen, Department of General Practice and Primary Care Aberdeen, AB25 2AY, UK. j.haughney@abdn.ac.uk
John
J
Haughney
Monica
M
Fletcher
Stephanie
S
Wolfe
Julie
J
Ratcliffe
Roger
R
Brice
Martyn R
MR
Partridge
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012646:Self Administration; D012648:Self Care; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D013256:Steroids