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An evaluation of the action plans of children with asthma
Author(s) -
DAWSON K. P.,
ASPEREN P.,
HIGGINS C.,
SHARPE C.,
DAVIS A.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.1995.tb02906.x
Subject(s) - medicine , asthma , action (physics) , action plan , outpatient clinic , family medicine , interview , pediatrics , medical emergency , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics , political science , law , biology
Objective: To assess the provision and use of action plans in children attending hospital because of asthma. Methodology: An interviewer administered a structured questionnaire to the parents of 279 children attending the Casualty Department, Outpatient clinics or admitted to hospital because of asthma, at two Level 3 teaching hospitals. Results: Only 82 (29%) of the children attending hospital had a written action plan. The majority (57%) were devised by paediatricians and covered the salient aspects of care. However, indications for steroid use were included in only 28% of plans and only 37% of the action plans in children over 5 years incorporated the use of peak flow meters. Conclusion: Action plans are still under‐utilized in children with asthma. General practitioners should be encouraged to consider the use of action plans for the group of children not already covered.