Community-based asthma care: Trial of a 'credit card' asthma self- management plan

Abstract

Although asthma self-management plans are widely recommended as essential in the long-term treatment of adult asthma, there have been few studies examining their use. Our objective was to assess the effect of a 'credit card' adult asthma self-management plan in a community experiencing major health problems from asthma, by means of a before and after intervention trial of the efficacy of the 'credit card' plan, when introduced through community-based asthma clinics. The participants were 69 Maori people with asthma. The 'credit card' plan consisted of written guidelines for the self- management of asthma, based on self-assessment of asthma severity, printed on a plastic card. On one side, ma..