Trial of a "credit card" asthma self-management plan in a high-risk group of patients with asthma

Abstract

Background: The "credit card" asthma self-management plan provides the adult asthmatic patient with simple guidelines for the self-management of asthma, which are based on the self-assessment of peak expiratory flow rate recordings and symptoms. Objective: The study was a trial of the clinical efficacy of the credit card plan in a high-risk group of asthmatic patients. Methods: In this "before-and-after" trial, patients discharged from the emergency department of Wellington Hospital, after treatment for severe asthma were invited to attend a series of hospital outpatient clinics at which the credit card plan was introduced. Questionnaires were used to compare markers of asthma morbidity, req..