[Management and follow-up of asthma patients]

The reasons for the good management of asthma are explained and the underlying factors for the poor observance of their disease by patients and/or inadequate prescriptions are discussed. The author recalls the principal objectives of management and in passing mentions those necessary demands to guarantee successful management. These demands are: 1) a good relationship between the medical team, the patient and the family 2) the information and education of the patient and his family, which should dwell on a) the disease b) precipitating factors c) subjective factors without forgetting the equivalents of crises d) therapeutic methods and their correct usage stressing the importance of teaching good aerosol technique e) the potential progress of the disease. Benefit will flow from the education of the patients so that they will automatically take their medication in a better understood fashion and will assume their responsibilities more consistently, and the therapy will be controlled and readjusted by the medical team. 3) a good appreciation of the severity of the asthma and also of the degree of importance of any impending crisis. 4) This type of follow up of the asthmatic implies that the responsibility is not only that of the doctor but of the patient too. 5) A healthy system with quality assurance a) a good medical and paramedical team b) good accessibility to health care c) structures of health care within and without hospital which are sufficient both in quantity and quality d) a good public information service. The assessment of studies based on shared care of patients has shown an improvement in well being vis a vis their disorder.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)