Objective To evaluate the control status and knowledge level about disease in asthmatic patients in region level cities of Shaanxi province for effect appraisal of patient education. Methods Eight hospitals were selected from six region level cities, where questionnaire survey was completed in out-patients with asthma ( ≥14 years old) . Results A total of 523 patients completed the questionnaire with a ratio of male to female of 1∶1. 14, and an average age of ( 44. 3 ±15. 5) years old. The percentage of controlled,partly controlled and uncontrolled by self-evaluation was respectively 26. 4% , 52. 4% and 11. 1% . 48% insisted on using inhaled corticosteroids ( ICS) . The average score was 17. 88 ±4. 43 by asthma control test ( ACT) . The first three medicines used daily were ICS ( 26. 6% ) , sustained-release theophyline ( 25. 2% )and combination ICS/ long-acting β2 -agonists ( 21. 8% ) . 12. 6% had no medicine and 5. 2% used nonorthodox medicines. 68. 6% patients had omen before exacerbation, and those were sneezing, chest distress and cough. 73. 6% knew asthma is a disease of airway inflammation, and 33. 3% selected ICS as the leader medicine. Only 32. 1% attended the lecture about asthma in hospitals and 85. 0% longed for such education. Conclusions The control status and knowledge level about disease in asthmatic patients in cities still need to be improved in Shaanxi province, and too much work need to be done in order to realize the total control in all patients.
Objective To evaluate the control status and knowledge level about disease in asthmatic patients in hospitals of different grades in Gansu province, and provide a basis for proposing a work plan forprevention and treatment of asthma in Gansu province.Methods We performed a questionnaire investigation in a face-to-face manner in asthmatic patients from hospitals of three different grades, which included a grade 3A hospital, a grade 3B hospital, and a grade 2A hospital.Results A total of 542 asthmatic patients were investigated. The percentage of complete controlled, well controlled and uncontrolled were 3. 5% , 16. 9% and 79. 5% respectively. The rate of complete controlled was low in three hospitals without significant difference ( 3. 6% , 3. 4% , and 3. 3% , respectively) . The rate of well controlled in the grade 3A and 3B hospitals was higher than that in the grade 2A hospital ( 20. 4% and 18. 3% vs. 8. 2% ,P lt;0. 05) . 41. 4% of the respondents had been hospitalized for exacerbation in the past one year, and the rate was higher in the grade 2A hospital than that in the grade 3A and 3B hospitals ( 58. 2% vs. 31. 8% and 42. 9%, P lt;0. 01) . 46. 9% of the patients had visited the emergency department, and the rate was higher in the grade 2A hospital than that in the grade 3A and 3B hospitals ( 63. 9% vs. 41. 6% and 42. 3% , P lt;0. 01) . 23. 6% of the respondents had underwent lung function test follow-up during the past one year, andthe rate in the grade 3A hospital was higher than that in the grade 3B and 2A hospitals( 79. 2% vs. 44% and 40. 2%, P lt;0. 01) . Only 2. 8% of the patients in the grade 3A hospital had used peak flowmeter regularly.There were 19. 7% of the patients received a long-term treatment plan by specialists, and the rate in the grade 3A and 3B hospitals was higher than that in the grade 2A hospital ( 22. 4% and 21. 7% vs. 11. 5% ,P lt;0. 05) . 30. 6% of the respondents insisted on using inhaled corticosteroid ( ICS) or combination of ICS and long acting β2 -agonist ( ICS/LABA) , and the rate was higher in the grade 3A and 3B hospitals than that in the grade 2A hospital ( 33. 9% and 32. 6% vs. 21. 3% , P lt;0. 05) . 27. 7% of the patients had used the theophylline drugs regularly, and there were no significant differences in three hospitals. 30. 3% of the patients did not used the drugs regularly, and most of these patients were from the grade 2A and 3B hospitals ( 54. 1% and 32. 9% respectively) . 11. 4% of the patients has used antibiotics, herbal medicine or other drugs. And most of these patients were from the grade 2A and 3B hospitals ( 50% and 30. 6% respectively) . 26. 2% of the patients believed that asthma is an inflammatory disease. 51. 3% of the patients selected ICS ( or ICS/LABA) as the first line medicine, and the rate in the grade 3A hospital was higher than that in the grade 3B and 2A hospitals ( P lt;0. 05) . Only13. 1% -14. 7% of the patients attended the lecture about asthma in hospitals in the past one year, and the rate in the grade 3A hospital was thehighest, but the difference was not significant. Conclusions The lack of the awareness, the poor control, and the non-standardized treatment and management of the disease are the main obstacles in the control of asthma in Gansu province, especially in township hospitals.