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Nine out of ten primary care doctors and specialists who treat patients with asthma say they are aware of the NHLBI guidelines, and most say that they follow those guidelines:
- One third (32%) said they always follow the guidelines; half (48%) said they follow the guidelines most of the time. (Figure 18)
Most patients report that they are satisfied with their care:
- Nine out of ten persons with asthma give their doctors high marks for their knowledge of asthma and asthma management, their ability to explain asthma management, and their willingness to spend time with patients. (Figure 19)
- Six out of ten asthma patients (62%) say their doctor's advice has helped improve their ability to manage their asthma symptoms "a lot." (Figure 20)
On average, people with asthma feel their condition is improving: 41% of adults say their asthma is better now that it was ten years ago, 28% say it has stayed the same, and 18% say it has gotten worse. (Figure 21) Asked why they think their asthma has improved, almost half credit better medicines (34%) or better treatment overall (15%). (Figure 22)
The survey reveals real disparities between what doctors say and what patients say -- and suggests a communications gap between asthma patients and their healthcare providers (Figure 23):
- Although 70% of doctors say they use spirometry to measure patient airflow on an ongoing basis, only 35% of persons with asthma report having had a lung-function test in the past year.
- Although 83% of doctors say they prescribe the use of peak-flow meters to their patients with chronic asthma, only 62% of patients have ever heard of this device -- and only 28% actually have one. Only 9% actually use a peak flow meter at least once a week.
- Although 70% of doctors say they prepare an action plan for all, most or some of their patients, only 27% of patients say their doctor has developed a written action plan for them.
Many patients are treating their symptoms, not the underlying cause of the condition:
- More than six out of ten (61%) asthma patients who use a quick-relief inhaler say they use it at least three times a week -- something the NHLBI considers an indicator of poorly controlled asthma. (Figure 24)
- The NHLBI guidelines recommend anti-inflammatory medication for patients with mild, moderate or severe persistent asthma. More than nine out ten doctors (92%) agree that anti-inflammatory drugs are essential or very important in the long-term management of persistent asthma (Figure 25), but only 18% of asthma patients reported using anti-inflammatory medication in the past four weeks. This includes 15% of asthma patients who are taking inhaled corticosteroids and 3% who are using non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs.
- 90% of doctors rated inhaled corticosteroids as very effective in reducing airway inflammation (Figure 26), with 75% volunteering that they would normally prescribe inhaled corticosteroids for a patient with mild persistent asthma, and 86% volunteering that they would prescribe it for moderate persistent asthma. (Figure 27) However, fewer than one in five persons with mild, moderate or severe persistent asthma (19%) reported taking inhaled corticosteroids in the past four weeks. (Figure 28)
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