[Assessment of quality of care in asthma]

Asthma is a chronic airways disease characterised by variable and reversible airflow obstruction. It is highly prevalent and incurs high costs, inducing a particular consideration from health authorities (an Asthma Plan has already been published and is part of the new public heath law).

In order to assess the appropriateness of care delivered, it is important to take into account several parameters: mortality, acute asthma management, hospitalisations, costs, and other parameters such as DALY. It is also important to consider occupational asthma. All the terms (variable, reversible, chronic) that allow identification of asthma explain the difficulties in producing an efficient management strategy and good quality care.

Public heath policy has to address the availability of these different management strategies. Medical doctors and all other health professionals need to adapt themselves to the needs of patients and their disease. Finally, patients have to be involved in the management of their own disease. Their active involvement will make it possible to significantly improve the quality of care.

During the past 20 years, significant improvements have been achieved in basic and clinical science but more data are needed to improve the practical management of asthmatic patients.