NATIONAL ASTHMA EDUCATION AND PREVENTION PROGRAM WORKING GROUP-REPORTON THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ASTHMA CARE

The cost effectiveness of asthma care is the first topic of the Nation al Asthma Education and Prevention Program Task Force Report on the Co st Effectiveness, Quality of Care, and Financing of Asthma Care. This working group characterized the role of health economics in understand ing optimal asthma management strategies. The report first reviews met hods for economic evaluation of medical technologies, with a particula r focus on cost-effectiveness analysis. Next, the report explores the nature and usefulness of several key asthma outcome measures, includin g clinical and symptom measures, measures of lung function, measures o f functional status, and measures of health services utilization and c ost. The working group also conducted a review of the literature on co st effectiveness of asthma patient education programs, pharmaceutical therapy, and a variety of alternative and adjunct interventions. The r eport concludes with recommendations for a standardized approach for e conomic evaluation study designs (e.g., common asthma outcomes, long-t erm follow-up, and studies with patients of different ages, socioecono mic statuses, and severity levels) and for an expansion in the number of such standardized asthma studies and cost-effectiveness analyses.