A medication assessment tool to evaluate adherence to medication guideline in asthmatic children.
OBJECTIVE
Asthma is one of the commonest causes of morbidity and mortality in childhood. The goals of the present study were to design a valid medication assessment tool for evaluating the quality of medication use according to recommendations of updated asthma guidelines for children aged from 5 to 12 years, and to quantify adherence to guideline recommendations.


METHODS
Two primary care settings in Scotland, UK.


METHODS
Recommendations related to the long-term management of asthmatic children in the British Thoracic Society/Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines were identified and corresponding criteria were created. These criteria were incorporated to generate an assessment tool named MAT ASTHMA-PAED. Two phases of field-testing were undertaken and the tool was also subject to examination by a focus group of specialist practitioners. Thereafter, MAT ASTHMA-PAED was modified accordingly.


METHODS
Applicability and adherence to each criterion and overall adherence to the MAT ASTHMA-PAED.


RESULTS
The MAT ASTHMA-PAED field-testing was undertaken in two primary care practices in Scotland, United Kingdom and 77 asthmatic children were recruited. Results of the pilot study field-testing showed a high overall adherence of 70.0 % (95 % CI: 58.7-81.3 %) to the guidelines. Low adherence (<50 %) was seen for 4 criteria, whereas 8 criteria were considered high-adherence criteria (>70 %). The final MAT ASTHMA-PAED comprised of 25 criteria was produced based on the results of field testing and the opinions from the focus group.


CONCLUSIONS
Although high utility of MAT ASTHMA-PAED criteria was found, there were gaps in the implementation of certain recommendations, particularly in relation to demonstrated satisfactory technique of inhaler. Moreover, further studies assessing the use of oral steroids and exercise-induced asthma, and wider implementation of MAT ASTHMA-PAED are required.
Department of Pharmacy, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hui-Ping
HP
Liu
Hsiang-Yin
HY
Chen
Julienne
J
Johnson
You-Meei
YM
Lin
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards; D012606:Scotland
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents