title: A computerized asthma-specific quality of life: a novel tool for reflecting asthma control and predicting exacerbation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Proper assessment of health-related quality of life is essential to achieve and maintain a controlled status in asthmatic patients. We developed our own computerized asthma-specific quality-of-life (cA-QOL) questionnaire based on in-depth interviews with adult asthmatic patients. In this study, we evaluated this cA-QOL in terms of the Asthma Control Test (ACT) score and Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines as well as asthma exacerbation, and compared it with the asthma-related quality-of-life questionnaire (AQLQ).
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a multicenter, prospective, observational study in 133 adult asthmatic patients recruited from 5 university hospitals in South Korea, who were randomized into 2 groups according to the operating order of the cA-QOL and AQLQ. At every visit (3-month interval), physicians evaluated asthma control status with monitoring spirometry. The self-administered cA-QOL, AQLQ(S) and ACT were completed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cA-QOL scores correlated significantly with ACT and AQLQ(S) scores (r = 0.814, p < 0.001; r = 0.900, p < 0.001). The cA-QOL score was significantly lower where the ACT score was <19, in the patients with an uncontrolled asthma status according to the GINA guidelines and in those with asthma exacerbation (p < 0.001, respectively). A multivariate analysis showed that this cA-QOL was a significant parameter associated with an uncontrolled asthma status and asthma exacerbation (p < 0.001, p = 0.045, p = 0.019, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cA-QOL is a valid tool for reflecting current asthma control status and for assessment to predict the future risk of asthma exacerbation in adult asthmatics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mi-Ae
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Jung-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Soo-Keol
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cheol-Woo
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki-Suck
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Joo-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hye-Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Seung-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yoo Seob
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Dong-Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Nahm
authors.forename: Hae-Sim
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012107:Research Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013147:Spirometry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires