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[Specialized care and primary care in the treatment of asthma: do differences exist?]
J E Cimas1, M C Arce, M E González
1Centro de Salud de Contrueces, Gijón.
Objective:
To determine whether differences exist in the monitoring, diagnosis and treatment of asthmatic patients between family doctors (FD) and pneumology specialists (PD).
Design:
A descriptive crossover study, performed through an interview with the patients and a medical exploration.
Setting:
Six health centres.
Patients:
195 asthmatic patients between 14 and 65, chosen by simple random sampling from among all those registered by computer in the SICAP.
Measurements And Main Results:
Each patient answered a structured interview and had a spirometry test. Which doctor usually monitored their illness, social and demographic data, morbidity parameters, treatment prescribed and their compliance with it, were all determined. 66% of patients were under their FD. No differences were found in the clinical characteristics of patients treated by their FD against those treated by their PD.
Conclusions:
Most adult asthmatics are under the care of FDs; however, these appear to under-treat to a considerable degree, especially respecting the use of inhaled corticosteroids. It must be emphasised strongly that Asthma is an inflammatory disease; and FDs must become better informed of the directives of the international consensus on asthma.