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New Survey Indicates Need to Re-Think Approaches to Asthma Management in the U.S.

Posted on: Tuesday, 25 April 2006, 12:00 CDT

FAIRFAX, Va., April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent patient survey entitled Perceptions of Asthma Care, conducted by Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA), reveals that patients and physicians have different perceptions when it comes to a variety of issues in asthma care. Physicians' attempts to classify patients' asthma severity as mild, moderate or severe do not necessarily help patients get the proper treatment or control their asthma in the most effective way.

Classification of asthma severity may be problematic, as the data indicate that physicians believe mild-to-moderate asthma patients are not taking their disease seriously, however twenty-one percent of those same patients reported at least one asthma-related ER visit in the last six months. One of the most staggering survey findings is that less than half of patients feel confident in their ability to manage or prevent symptoms, which can probably be attributed to patients not feeling as though they have been given enough information about their condition.

"It is critical for patients to request a written asthma management plan and review it with their doctor. Patients and physicians should update the plan each year, or as symptoms worsen or improve," said Nancy Sander, founder and president of AANMA. The survey found that in the absence of a written plan, patients often begin adapting their use of medication without consulting their physician. In fact, almost half (46 percent) of all patients surveyed with mild asthma said they did not receive an asthma management plan.

The survey also revealed that while physicians believe that the primary causes of ER visits among their asthma patients are missed doses of daily medications and failure to keep doctor visits, patients believe that they are following their medication instructions and blame ER visits on exposure to asthma triggers and medication failures. Physicians believe that approximately 20 percent of their mild-to-moderate asthma patients are taking more than is prescribed of their bronchodilator medication; however, only four to six percent of patients report taking more than prescribed. This means that almost 40 percent of the patients surveyed are misusing their asthma medication.

"Patient and physician asthma vocabularies are not in sync. What patients may not understand, or even hear, when they talk to their asthma physician is that asthma is a complex and evolving condition requiring regular assessment and monitoring," added Sander. "For example, when physicians say 'mild asthma,' patients hear 'no big deal,' which is simply not the case. It's a chronic and life-threatening disease that affects lung function, which is vital to life," continued Sander.

Joining Sander at a recent New York City event to unveil the patient survey data was John Oppenheimer, M.D., Director of Clinical Research, Pulmonary and Allergy Associates in Summit, New Jersey. The data reveal that national treatment guidelines intended to help direct treatment decisions by categorizing severity may instead leave patients and physicians with different expectations for their disease. "National treatment guidelines from NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) that define 'mild-moderate-severe' are intended to help physicians make treatment decisions. Instead, the definitions may leave patients and physicians with different expectations about what to do about the disease and its symptoms."

"Well-controlled asthma is a realistic goal for most patients. Physicians, in partnership with patients, should set realistic targets for asthma control while balancing the risks and benefits of therapy," said Dr. Oppenheimer. "Treatment goals and treatment programs should both be individualized for each patient."

About Asthma

According to the National Center of Health Statistics, more than 20 million adults and nine million children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with asthma. There were 1.9 million asthma-related visits to hospital emergency departments in 2002, including 727,000 among children under the age of 18. There are approximately 5,000 asthma-related deaths a year and 13 people die of asthma every day. Asthma-related healthcare costs are estimated at $14 billion annually and asthma accounts for 14.7 million missed school days and 11.8 million work days annually.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted by Harris Interactive(R) on behalf of the AANMA and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) and with the support of an unrestricted educational grant from Sepracor, Inc. The survey was conducted online between September to November 2005, and included 619 patients (ages 18-64 who used a bronchodilator within the past six months) and 306 physicians (Primary Care Providers, Pulmonologists, Allergists and Immunologists).

About AANMA

Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating suffering and death due to asthma, allergies and related conditions. Founded in 1985, AANMA's core areas of expertise are education, advocacy and outreach. AANMA's flagship publications -- Allergy & Asthma Today magazine and The MA Report newsletter -- and the Breatherville.org Web site serve as consumer lifelines to medical news and healthy living. Contact AANMA at 800.878.4403 or visit http://www.breatherville.org/.

Desiree Diez Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics 1-800-878-4403 Amy Burstyn Zeno Group 212-299-8987 amy.burstyn@zenogroup.com

Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics

CONTACT: Desiree Diez, Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics,+1-800-878-4403; or Amy Burstyn, Zeno Group, +1-212-299-8987,amy.burstyn@zenogroup.com

Web site: http://www.breatherville.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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