The impact of a mass communications campaign on the reported management of asthma by general practitioners

There have been recent campaigns in many countries to address the increasing morbidity and mortality of asthma by promoting better management. This study aimed to evaluate the National Asthma Campaign (NAC), in Australia, and to assess the extent of its impact on reported asthma management. It was a cross-sectional, before and after study using the same self-administered questionnaire in postal surveys involving 472 general practitioners (GPs) before the campaign and 540 GPs 6 months after the start of the campaign. Both samples were random samples of GPs in active practice. The campaign was effective in making GPs more aware of the principles of good asthma management. Most (74%) GPs in the post-campaign survey were aware of a current asthma education programme compared with 53% in the pre-campaign survey, although only 23% cited the NAC. After the campaign there were significant improvements reported in airway function measurement practices, the use of preventive therapy and the use of written action plans.