title: Older peoples' perception of tests used in the assessment and management of COPD and asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Outcome assessment is an important part of the management of airways disease, yet older adults may have difficulty with the burden of testing. This study evaluated the patient perception of tests used for the assessment of airways disease in older people.
  
  
  METHODS
  Older adults (>55 years) with obstructive airway disease and healthy controls (N = 56) underwent inhaler technique assessment, skin allergy testing, venepuncture, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) and gas diffusion measurement, exercise testing, sputum induction, and questionnaire assessment. They then completed an assessment burden questionnaire across five domains: difficulty, discomfort, pain, symptoms and test duration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Test perception was generally favourable. Induced sputum had the greatest test burden perceived as being more difficult (mean 0.83, P = 0.001), associated with more discomfort (mean 1.3, P < 0.001), more painful (0.46, P = 0.019), longer test duration (0.84, P < 0.001) and worsening symptoms (0.55, P = 0.001) than the questionnaires. FENO had a more favourable assessment but was assessed to be difficult to perform. Inhaler technique received the most favourable assessment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older adults hold favourable perceptions to a range of tests that they might encounter in the course of their care for airway disease. The newer tests of sputum induction and FENO have some observed difficulties, in particular sputum induction. The results of this study can inform current practice by including details of the test and its associated adverse effects when conducting the test, as well as providing clear explanations of the utility of tests and how the results might aid in patient care.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Diseases, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia; School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Vanessa M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Jodie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McElduff
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gibson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000523:psychology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D001944:Breath Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000523:psychology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000523:psychology; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000523:psychology; D013183:Sputum; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: COPD; asthma; elderly; patient preference