Awareness about the disease in asthma patients receiving treatment from physicians at different levels

Morbidity and mortality due to asthma continue to increase worldwide. One of the reasons is an inadequate patient awareness regarding the disease and its treatment. One thousand four hundred patients with reversible airflow obstruction due to bronchial asthma were included in this study and assigned to one of the four groups depending on whom they had consulted before. The patients were asked to complete a questionnaire which included questions regarding the disease, its course, understanding of treatment schedules, correct use of inhaler devices, use of peak flow meter and when to take emergency actions. The awareness regarding the disease, avoidance of trigger factors, treatment adherence, and correct use of inhaler devices was found to be greater in patients who had received initial treatment from a qualified physician and was best among those treated at the Institute level. The use of peak flow meter by the patients for objective assessment of asthma and the awareness regarding use of emergency care services was found to be poor among all the groups. To improve patient awareness and quality of asthma care delivery, private practitioners as well as Institute doctors must be included in continuing medical education programmes and various methods of communications with patients should be used along with separate clinics for asthma at the Institute level.