Green R J, Greenblatt M M, Plit M, Jones S, Adam B
The National Asthma Education Programme, Parkview, South Africa.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2001 Mar;86(3):343-7. doi: 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)63311-X.
Many First World countries have endeavored to measure the impact of asthma on individuals with asthma and, in addition to this quality of life evaluation, have attempted to define the quality of care for this common chronic illness.
The primary objective of this research probe was to assist the National Asthma Program in South Africa with the formulation and delivery of its outreach program to rural asthmatic patients.
A discussion/questionnaire document was compiled by Partners in Research from established literature. All interviews were conducted in either the clinics, hospitals, or respondents' homes. Both adult asthmatic patients and parents of pediatric asthmatic patients were interviewed. Interviewing took place at seven rural health clinics across South Africa. Each interview included extensive demographic details, questions on asthma definition, symptoms and symptom triggers, family history, age at diagnosis, frequency of symptoms, and treatment.
Thirty-five adult asthmatic patients and 27 parents of pediatric asthmatic patients were interviewed. Of the adults, 40% reported wheezing at least once a week (despite diagnosis and treatment) and 19% of children reported similar symptom exacerbations. Fifty-one percent of adults and 56% of children were awakened at least once a week by cough or wheeze. Quality of life measurement reflected that, on average, 37% of responders were frightened during an acute asthma attack, and 68% of parents reported fearing the death of their asthmatic children. Fifty-one percent of adults and 33% of children had been hospitalized at least once for asthma. Although respondents claimed regular training in use of inhaler device, only 43% of adults completed each step correctly.
There is a great deal of fear and ignorance surrounding asthma and, therefore, there is a real need for a greater level of patient education even in the rural areas of South Africa. In rural South Africa, attention should be paid to nurses, because they play a greater role than doctors in management and education of asthma.
许多第一世界国家都致力于衡量哮喘对哮喘患者的影响，除了进行这种生活质量评估外，还试图界定这种常见慢性病的护理质量。
本研究调查的主要目的是协助南非国家哮喘项目制定并向农村哮喘患者提供其外展项目。
研究伙伴根据已发表的文献编写了一份讨论/调查问卷文件。所有访谈均在诊所、医院或受访者家中进行。对成年哮喘患者和儿童哮喘患者的家长都进行了访谈。访谈在南非各地的七家农村健康诊所进行。每次访谈都包括详细的人口统计学细节、关于哮喘定义、症状及症状触发因素、家族病史、诊断年龄、症状出现频率和治疗情况的问题。
共访谈了35名成年哮喘患者和27名儿童哮喘患者的家长。在成年人中，40%报告每周至少出现一次喘息（尽管已确诊并接受治疗），19%的儿童报告有类似的症状加重情况。51%的成年人和56%的儿童每周至少有一次因咳嗽或喘息而醒来。生活质量测量结果显示，平均而言，37%的受访者在急性哮喘发作期间感到恐惧，68%的家长报告担心其哮喘儿童会死亡。51%的成年人和33%的儿童因哮喘至少住院一次。尽管受访者称接受过使用吸入装置的定期培训，但只有43%的成年人能正确完成每一个步骤。
围绕哮喘存在大量恐惧和无知，因此，即使在南非农村地区，也确实需要加强患者教育。在南非农村，应关注护士，因为他们在哮喘管理和教育方面比医生发挥着更大的作用。
