CHANGE IN THE USE OF AND ATTITUDE TO PEAK FLOW MEASUREMENT AMONG GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS IN NORTHERN-IRELAND BETWEEN 1989 AND 1994

In 1994 we repeated a study first performed in 1989 to assess the chan ge in general practitioners' use of and attitudes to peak flow measure ment. Of 232 general practitioners surveyed, 199 (86%) and 192 (83%) r esponded in 1989 and 1994 respectively. The percentage who reported ha ving patients using domiciliary peak flow monitoring rose from 58.3 (9 5% confidence limits 51.4 to 65.2)% to 97.9 (95.9 to 99.9)%. The perce ntage who reported 'usually' using peak flow measurements for the diag nosis and management of asthma rose from 81.9 (76.5 to 87.3)% to 93.2 (89.6 to 96.8)% and from 83.3 (78.1 to 88.5)% to 95.8 (92.9 to 98.7)% respectively. An unchanged proportion took peak flow meters on house c alls. General practitioners have become more aware of the potential of peak flow measurements but are still unlikely to have a meter availab le to assess patients seen at home. They are therefore likely to be il l-equipped to manage acute exacerbations of asthma in this setting.