Asthma management is a topic receiving widespread national attention due to the current rise in mortality and morbidity of this disease. The focus of this attention is the prevention of acute exacerbations of asthma symptoms. One of the strategies that has been cited as beneficial to the asthma patient is a self-management program. This study proposes to examine the impact of a self-management program for adult asthmatics on compliance with inhaled medications, asthma symptoms and degree of airway obstruction. This study will employ a two group, randomized, controlled experimental design. Sixty-seven rural dwelling adults, age 18 and over, who have been diagnosed with asthma and are currently being treated for asthma will be recruited into the study. These subjects will read and write English, have no other respiratory chronic illness, and have never attended a self- management program. In addition subjects will have physician consent for enrollment and will attend the program with a significant other of their choice. Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Group one will receive a seven week self-management program which will also be attended by the patient's significant other. Group two will receive usual care. Measures include peak flow data, the use of the Nebulizer Chronolog to record compliance of inhaled medication, the Asthma Symptom Log, and the Asthma Diary. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences will be used to analyze the data which will compare the two groups using a t-test. Benefits of a self-management program for adults with asthma can be evaluated in terms of symptom control, compliance with inhaled medications, and degree of airway obstruction.
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| Berg, J; Dunbar-Jacob, J; Sereika, S M (1997) An evaluation of a self-management program for adults with asthma. Clin Nurs Res 6:225-38 |
