Limited (information only) patient education programs for adults with asthma.

BACKGROUND

A key component of many asthma management guidelines is the recommendation for patient education and regular medical review. A number of controlled trials have been conducted to measure the effectiveness of asthma education programmes. These programmes improve patient knowledge, but their impact on health outcomes is less well established. At its simplest level, education is limited to the transfer of information about asthma, its causes and its treatment. This review focused on the effects of limited asthma education.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this review was to assess the effects of limited (i.e. information only) asthma education on health outcomes in adults with asthma.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Airways Group trials register and reference lists of articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised and controlled trials of individual asthma education involving information transfer only in adults over 16 years of age.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Trial quality was assessed and data were extracted independently by two reviewers. Study authors were contacted for missing information.

MAIN RESULTS

Eleven trials were included. They were of variable quality. Limited asthma education did not reduce hospitalisation for asthma (weighted mean difference -0.03 average hospitalisations per person per year, 95% confidence interval -0.09 to 0.03). There was no effect on doctor visits, lung function and medication use. The effects on asthma symptoms were variable. There was no reduction in days lost from normal activity, but perceived asthma symptoms did improve after limited asthma education (odds ratio 0.40, 95% confidence interval 0.18 to 0.86). In one study, limited asthma education was associated with reduced emergency department visits (weighted mean difference -2.76 average visits per person per year, 95% confidence interval -4.34 to 1.18).

REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Use of limited asthma education as it has been practiced does not appear to improve health outcomes in adults with asthma. However the use of information in the emergency department may be effective, but this needs to be confirmed.