Perceptions about self-management among people with severe asthma.

AIM

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions about self-management among people who were being followed up in a severe asthma clinic by asthma specialists for confirmed, overall severe asthma. Such insight informs how best to tailor programs for this difficult to treat patient population.

METHOD

In-depth tape-recorded interviews of eight adults with severe asthma were transcribed and analyzed for salient themes using content analysis.

RESULTS

To self-manage their illness, over time participants sought asthma information from a variety of sources that they often viewed as inadequate due to lack of scope and or plain language. The most valued sources of asthma information were encountered after referral to an asthma specialist and were health professionals and a pulmonary rehabilitation program.

CONCLUSION

There is a need to examine the content of asthma information sources for their relevance to and influence on the behavior of patients with severe asthma.