Using an asthma control questionnaire and administrative data to predict health-care utilization

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Clinical Epidemiology

Background:

• Asthma exacerbations lead to significant healthcare utilization.
• Predicting acute asthma events is crucial for effective disease management and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the predictive value of the Asthma Therapy Assessment Questionnaire (ATAQ) control index combined with prior healthcare utilization data for future acute asthma events.
• To determine if ATAQ can further stratify risk in patients with low prior healthcare utilization.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of 4,788 adult asthma patients.
• Utilized classification and regression tree methodology.
• Incorporated baseline ATAQ control index and administrative data on prior healthcare utilization.

Main Results:

• The ATAQ control index and administrative data jointly predict future healthcare utilization.
• Administrative data was the strongest predictor.
• ATAQ identified a small group (1%) without recent acute care but with a sixfold increased risk of future events.

Conclusions:

• The ATAQ control index offers additional risk stratification beyond prior healthcare utilization.
• Findings support the use of ATAQ and administrative data for population-based asthma management.
• Clinicians can better identify at-risk individuals for proactive interventions.