A ONE-YEAR PROSPECTIVE AUDIT OF AN ASTHMA EDUCATION-PROGRAM IN AN OUTPATIENT SETTING

A prospective randomised trial was performed to evaluate the effective ness of an asthma education programme administered by an asthma nurse specialist in an out-patient setting, Sixty asthmatic patients (mean a ge 28.5 years) were enrolled, 30 to a usual care control group and 30 to an education group. The education group underwent an individual edu cation programme lasting at least one hour, The following variables we re measured at baseline, one month after the education programme and a t one gear follow-up: asthma knowledge by MCQ (36 point questionnaire) , inhaler technique (7 point scale), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and symptomatology by visual analogue score (0 to 10 score), The educa tion group's inhaler technique and MCQ score both improved significant ly at one month, from 5.4 (0.3) (mean [SEM]) to 6.5 (0.3), p<0.001, an d from 7.5 (2.4) to 22 (1.8), p<0.0001 respectively, Both of these imp rovements were significantly greater than in the control group, and bo th were maintained at one year follow-up, The symptom score improved o ver one year in the education group, from 5.4 (0.6) to 7.6 (0.5), p<0. 05, and was unchanged in the control group, There was no change in the PEFR in either group. This study shows clear objective benefits to an out-patient asthma education programme conducted by an asthma nurse s pecialist.