Planned primary health care asthma contacts during 12-year follow-up after Finnish National Asthma Programme: focus on spirometry

NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. 2020 Mar 20;30(1):8. doi: 10.1038/s41533-020-0166-2.

Abstract

Primary health care (PHC) providers are at the front line of asthma management. To evaluate how planned asthma follow-up occurred in PHC and whether lung function tests were used, 203 patients were followed for 12 years as part of a real-life asthma cohort Seinäjoki Adult Asthma Study (SAAS). A total of 152 patients had visits in PHC attending on average to four planned contacts during 12-year follow-up corresponding to one visit every third year. National guideline recommends annual visits. Patients with ≥4 contacts seemed to have more difficult asthma and better adherence to inhaled corticosteroid medication. Lung function tests were performed on average in 87.5% of annual planned follow-up contacts. Spirometry was performed in 70%, 71% and 97% of all contacts depending on whether it was a contact to GP, nurse or both. Overall, the frequency of follow-up contacts was insufficient but PHC adherence to lung function testing was excellent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Inhalation
  • Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists / therapeutic use
  • Aftercare / statistics & numerical data*
  • Aged
  • Anti-Asthmatic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Asthma / physiopathology
  • Asthma / therapy*
  • Disease Management
  • Female
  • Finland
  • Forced Expiratory Volume
  • Glucocorticoids / therapeutic use
  • Guideline Adherence / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medication Adherence
  • Middle Aged
  • Primary Health Care / statistics & numerical data*
  • Respiratory Function Tests / statistics & numerical data
  • Spirometry / statistics & numerical data*
  • Vital Capacity

Substances

  • Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists
  • Anti-Asthmatic Agents
  • Glucocorticoids