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An algorithmic approach to diagnosing asthma in older patients in general practice
Author(s) -
Ruffin Richard E,
Wilson David H,
Appleton Sarah L,
Adams Robert J
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2005.tb06917.x
Subject(s) - asthma , medicine , intervention (counseling) , focus group , psychological intervention , general practice , population , family medicine , gold standard (test) , global positioning system , computer science , nursing , environmental health , marketing , business , telecommunications
What we need to knowHow effective would an algorithm be in helping general practitioners diagnose asthma? What proportion of older people with undiagnosed asthma fail to recognise symptoms? What proportion of the population believe asthma does not occur in the older population? What systems or supports do GPs need to diagnose asthma more effectively?What we need to doWork on developing a gold standard for asthma diagnosis. Develop prototype algorithms for general practice discussion. Conduct a general practice study to assess the effectiveness of an algorithm. In conjunction with GPs, develop a pilot program to increase awareness of the current asthma problem. Conduct focus‐group research to identify why some people do not believe they can develop asthma for the first time in adult life. Conduct focus‐group research to identify why some adults do not attribute asthma symptoms to asthma. Conduct focus groups with GPs to identify what support is needed to diagnose asthma more effectively. Consult with all stakeholders before an intervention is used. Evaluate any interventions used.