Implementation of written asthma action plan among asthma patients in Türkiye: a multicenter, cross-sectional, descriptive study

Abstract

Background/aim: In our country, there is no data on whether the clinicians give an asthma action plan to implement to patients followed up with a diagnosis of asthma, and whether patients can manage their treatment according to this plan. The present study aimed to determine the use of asthma action plans in our country and the awareness levels of patients about the plan.Materials and methods: Multicenter, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in outpatient immunology and allergy and pulmonology clinics of secondary and tertiary health-care centers. Adults asthmatics filled out a case registration form regarding age, gender, educational status, duration of asthma, and smoking history. Subjects answered The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) assessment of control questions and whether they had previously been mentioned an asthma action plan and benefited from it. Results: Data of 265 asthmatic adults (mean age: 48.4 (standard deviation: 13.4) years, 194 (73.2%) females) were analyzed. The asthma control state of 212 (80.0%) patients was controlled, and 53 (20.0%) patients was uncontrolled. An asthma action plan was mentioned to 91 (34.3%) of 265 patients. Among these 91 patients who were mentioned about the asthma action plan, 85 (93.4%) were given written asthma action plan, 85 (93.4%) stated that they benefited from the plan. The rate of being given an asthma action plan in illiterate patients was significantly lower than in patients with any education (p