title: Taking Aim at Asthma Around the World: Global Results of the Asthma Insight and Management Survey in the Asia-Pacific Region, Latin America, Europe, Canada, and the United States.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma, a worldwide health problem, can be controlled if properly diagnosed and managed. Multinational surveys conducted in patients with asthma from 1998 to 2003 indicated that asthma was inadequately controlled. The Asthma Insight and Management (AIM) study represents the largest survey conducted on patients with asthma since 2003.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to assess findings from the United States (US), Europe and Canada (EUCAN), Latin America (LA), and the Asia-Pacific (AP) region surveys to identify differences and similarities with earlier surveys on patients with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The US, EUCAN, LA, and AP AIM surveys conducted from 2009 to 2011 all used a common set of questions. Responses to these are reported as proportions of patients with asthma for each country individually, and as totals for all regions. Results are presented as mean/median proportions for US, EUCAN, LA, and AP survey populations individually. Global medians and the range of regional response values are also described.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 10,302 patients or parents of adolescents with asthma were interviewed. Approximately one-quarter reported daytime symptoms daily or on most days over the previous 4 weeks. Globally, a median of 67% (range, 27%-88%) of patients perceived their asthma as completely and/or well controlled, but a median of only 9% (range, 0%-29%) of patients had well-controlled asthma using criteria from asthma guidelines. A majority (≥60%) of patients felt that quick-relief medication could be used daily if needed, contrary to guideline recommendations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients exhibited a lack of knowledge and conviction for treatment recommendations and guidelines that was relatively uniform across the regions, similar to earlier survey findings. These results reveal an ongoing need for improvement in asthma care and education in most populations.
authors.affiliation: Asthma & Allergy Associates, P.C. and Research Center, Colorado Springs, Colo. Electronic address: DrRNathan@aol.com.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Nathan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Asthma, Allergy and Respiratory Research, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia.
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology Haematology and Respiratory Disease, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fabbri
authors.affiliation: Chest Research Foundation Marigold Complex, Kalyaninagar, Pune, India.
authors.forename: Sundeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salvi
authors.affiliation: Centro Regional de Alergia e Inmunología Clínica, Hospital Universitario Dr. José Eleuterio González, Facultad de Medicina UANL, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Fundacion CIDEA Allergy and Respiratory Research Unit, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Jorge F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Maspero
authors.affiliation: Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ.
authors.forename: Jorge J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Moreno-Cantu
authors.affiliation: Gladwyne, Pa.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fish
authors.affiliation: Boystown National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Neb.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D002170:Canada; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010139:Pacific Islands; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
keywords: Asthma; Control; Guidelines; Management; Survey; Symptoms; Treatment