DIAGNOSTIC AND EDUCATION IN ASTHMA - A DE SCRIPTION OF THE RESULTS OFA SURVEY BY QUESTIONNAIRE

The object of this work was to carry out an audit on an asthmatic's kn owledge of their disease and of the risk factors, their usual therapy and of therapy for acute exacerbations as well as their need for infor mation and education. The study was carried out by a survey of 327 adu lt asthmatics who were in consultation with specialist physicians in t horacic medicine. The information was gathered using an anonymous ques tionnaire completed by a nurse. The doctors looking after these patien ts had given their opinion on the severity of their asthma and the edu cational needs of their patients. The population studied had an averag e of 47+/-17 years. Forty seven percent of the subjects were masculine . The general level of education was high. Seventy five per cent of th e patients were from an urban environment. The duration of the asthma was on an average of 19 years. Half of these patients had already been in hospital for a serious attack. One third of the patients were cons idered by their doctors as having severe asthma. The patients were goo d at distinguishing the level of severity of their acute exacerbations and adapted their therapy on their own initiative in appropriate fash ion based on the degree of severity of their disease. The enquiry reve aled that patients take some liberties around the basic treatment that they had been prescribed It also showed some defects or errors in the ir knowledge of the disease and the appropriate approach vis-a-vis the disease. One noted for example that one third of the asthmatics had a lready stopped the treatment before the date fixed by their doctor ln a general, patients who were surveyed were interested in their health problems with their health and hoped to be better informed both on ast hma anti ifs treatment. This stimy was biased towards an interest in t he understanding of the education in order to manage the asthmatic pop ulation better.