Primary health care centres with asthma clinics: effects on patients knowledge and asthma control.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate outcomes for patients attending primary care centres with and without asthma clinics.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey at 42 primary health care centres randomly selected according to organisation of asthma care, 14 with complete, 14 with incomplete and 14 with no asthma clinic according to national criteria. 1,477 randomly selected patients 15-45 years received two questionnaires. Outcomes were: patients' knowledge of asthma; asthma control; and quality of life.


RESULTS
Patients attending primary health care centres with asthma clinics reported more knowledge of asthma but similar levels of asthma control and quality of life. Patients who reported they had visited the asthma nurse during the last year had more knowledge but similar asthma control and quality of life compared to patients who reported they had not. However, with more time allocated for the nurse, 44% achieved asthma control compared with 27% at asthma clinics with less time (p<0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
Having an asthma clinic at a primary health care centre improves asthma patients' knowledge of the disease, and better asthma control is achieved if the nurse is allocated more time.
Lisspers
Karin
K
Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Family Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. k.lisspers@alfa.telenordia.se
Ställberg
Björn
B
Hasselgren
Mikael
M
Johansson
Gunnar
G
Svärdsudd
Kurt
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents