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Addition of peak flow monitoring to symptom monitoring did not improve healthcare visits, quality of life, or lung function in older adults with moderate-to-severe asthma

Key Words: asthma • peak expiratory flow rate • monitoring (physiologic)

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

METHODS
Design: randomised controlled trial.

Allocation: {concealed}^*.

Blinding: blinded (data collectors and {healthcare providers}^*).

Follow up period: up to 2 years.

Setting: a large managed care organisation in Oregon, USA.

Patients: 296 adults 50–92 years of age (mean age 66 y, 52% women) who had physician diagnosed asthma, medication use suggestive of moderate-to-severe asthma, bronchodilator reversibility (>8% of baseline FEV₁), and demonstrated ability to keep a daily symptom diary.

Intervention: symptom monitoring plus PFM (n = 149) or symptom monitoring only (n = 147). All patients attended four 90 minute small group sessions that included development of personalised action plans and review of asthma diaries. Patients were instructed in the proper use of metered dose inhalers (MDIs), with individual coaching based on a skill checklist (patients had to meet 7 of 8 skills criteria). Researchers met with patients semiannually to review techniques, daily diaries, and action plans, and . . . [Full text of this article]

Jay I Peters, MD

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, USA

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Evid. Based Med. 2007 12: 63-64. (in ) [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]