Executive Summary

Overview

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	Executive Summary

		Overview

		Missing the Mark

		Poor asthma management can take a high toll

		A patient-provider communications gap

		Patient education should be a top priority

		Survey Methods

	National/Regional Survey Data



	Survey Slide Kit



	Bibliography

One of the largest and most comprehensive surveys of public, patient and professional knowledge, attitudes and behavior toward asthma in the United States was conducted between mid-May and mid-July 1998. The survey explored asthma prevalence, the frequency and severity of symptoms, utilization of emergency care, quality of life, and quality of care issues. Interviews were completed with a national sample of 2,509 adults with asthma or parents of children with asthma. The national sample of asthma patients was identified by systematically screening a national sample of 42,022 households in the United States. A national cross-sectional sample of 1,000 adults in the general public was also conducted for comparison to the national asthma sample. Finally, a national sample of more than 700 healthcare providers -- comprising 512 doctors, 101 nurses and 113 pharmacists -- was interviewed as part of the survey. (Figure 1)

The survey was conducted by the national public-opinion research organization, Schulman, Ronca and Bucuvalas, Inc. (SRBI). Serving as advisors to the project were Nancy Sander, President of Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics, and Dr. Scott Weiss, an asthma expert and lead epidemiologist with Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. The survey was funded by GlaxoSmithKline, a research-based pharmaceutical company.

The survey yields five major conclusions about the current state of asthma in America:

Asthma management in America is falling far short of the goals established by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. (Expert Panel Report 2: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, NHLBI, May 1997.) Indeed, it would not be an exaggeration to say that asthma is out of control for many patients.

Poorly controlled asthma symptoms cause hospitalizations, emergency room and urgent care visits, sick days, and activity limitations that may cause asthma sufferers to accept a much lower quality of life than need be.

Although doctors report that they are following NHLBI guidelines and patients are generally satisfied with their care, the level of care reported by patients does not meet current standards.

Another key finding is the widespread misunderstanding by patients of the underlying condition that causes asthma symptoms, as well as confusion about appropriate treatment and other aspects of asthma management.

People with asthma recognize the need for greater patient education - 71% believe there is a strong need for more patient education about asthma.

The survey findings about asthma are particularly important because of the number of American households affected. The population prevalence of asthma found by the survey is consistent with previous government estimates that about one in twenty Americans, or nearly 15 million people, suffer from asthma. However, the survey finds that far more Americans are directly affected by asthma. Nearly half of the American public (48%) have had asthma themselves, or in their household, or in their immediate family. Another three out of ten (29%) know friends, co-workers, or someone else personally who has asthma. Hence, nearly four out of five Americans (77%) are affected. (Figure 2)