Survey Finds Asthma Communication Gap

November 9, 2005

While the title is intriguing, we could write and additional article

entitled " survey finds that the survey of doctor/patient " asmatics has a huge

communication gap in relaying what is really going on.

MONDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Many doctors aren't communicating key

facts about _asthma_

patients, according to the preliminary findings of a new

international research survey.

The Global Asthma Physician and Patient (GAPP) survey of more than 6,000

doctors, adult asthma patients, and parents of child asthma patients in 16

countries found that 90 percent of doctors treating adult patients said they're

responsible for patient education in their office, but 85 percent said they

devote half or less of their time to patient education.

For example, " although 95 percent of physicians said they regularly discussed

proper inhaler use with their patients, only 61 percent of the patients said

they received regular instruction, " lead investigator Dr. S. Blaiss

of the University of Tennessee in Memphis, said in a prepared statement.

" Patients reported that many aspects of asthma treatment are not discussed with

their physicians, including an asthma treatment plan and proper maintenance of

symptom diaries. "

There was also a big gap in doctors' and patients' perceptions of how well

asthmatics adhered to treatments as instructed by their physician. While 66

percent of patients said they complied with their doctor's instructions at least

three-quarters of the time or more, doctors estimated that just 30 percent

of their patients did so.

" Of great concern is that more than half of the patients surveyed (54

percent) were unaware that asthma attacks can be fatal in patients with mild

asthma. The GAPP survey results demonstrate the need for improved physician and

patient communication, and patient's understanding about asthma, " Blaiss said.

The findings were presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American

College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Anaheim, Calif.

-- Preidt

SOURCE: ACAAI, news release, Nov. 6, 2005

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