Primary Care Physicians and Asthma Patients:
On the same “team,” but not always communicating effectively when it comes to controlling asthma
 Physicians and asthma patients see eye to eye  Disconnect between physicians and asthma patients |
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| A Team Approach | Surveyed Primary Care Physicians Say… | Surveyed Asthma Patients Say… |
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89% of primary care physicians agreed that they are partners with their patients in managing asthma. | 85% of asthma patients, who see a health care provider for their asthma, agreed that they are partners with their healthcare providers in managing asthma. |
| Who's In Control? | Surveyed Primary Care Physicians Say… | Surveyed Asthma Patients Say… |
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Only 40% of primary care physicians indicated that their patients are “very good” or “good” at controlling their asthma. | 77% of asthma patients felt that they are “very good” or “good” at controlling their asthma. |
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90% of primary care physicians, who thought that their patients could do a better job at controlling their asthma, stated that patients do not always take asthma medications properly. | Only 39% of asthma patients, who thought they could do a better job at controlling their asthma, believed that they don’t always take medications properly. |
| Defining Control | Surveyed Primary Care Physicians Say… | Surveyed Asthma Patients Say… |
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66% of primary care physicians felt that they had a different definition of asthma control than their patients. | In comparison, fewer asthma patients, who see a health care provider for their asthma, felt they had a different definition of asthma control: specifically, 25% felt they had a different definition. |
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Primary care physicians most often reported that the most important factors in defining asthma control are:
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Asthma patients most often reported that the most important factors in defining asthma control are:
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80% of primary care physicians said they discuss asthma control with their patients on a regular basis. | Only 11% of patients, who see a health care provider for their asthma, said that the meaning of asthma control was discussed in an asthma visit. |
| Qualitative vs. Quantitative Measures | Surveyed Primary Care Physicians Say… | Surveyed Asthma Patients Say… |
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The majority of primary care physicians most often describe asthma control to their patients as:
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Some patients, who see a health care provider for their asthma, most often remember their physician describing asthma control as:
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| Priorities Aligned | Surveyed Primary Care Physicians Say… | Surveyed Asthma Patients Say… |
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| Trigger Awareness & Action | Surveyed Primary Care Physicians Say… | Surveyed Asthma Patients Say… |
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69% of primary care physicians thought that their patients were only “somewhat aware” or "not at all aware" of the triggers of their asthma. | 62% of asthma patients felt that they were “very aware” or were “aware” of their asthma triggers. |
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27% of primary care physicians “somewhat” or “strongly” disagreed with the statement that, in general, patients proactively attempt to avoid the triggers of their asthma. | Only 12% of asthma patients, who said to be at least “somewhat aware” of their asthma triggers, declared that they “somewhat” or “strongly” disagreed with the same statement. |
| Fast-Acting Inhalers | Surveyed Primary Care Physicians Say… | Surveyed Asthma Patients Say… |
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86% of primary care physicians with patients who own fast-acting inhalers said they think that their patients rely on their fast-acting inhalers to minimize the impact of asthma on their daily life. | Patients who use fast-acting inhalers feel the same way: 72% agreed that they rely on fast-acting inhalers to minimize the impact of asthma on their daily life. |
About the Survey Methodology
AAFA commissioned two surveys conducted online by Harris Interactive. The surveys were designed to interview adult patients of asthma, mothers of children with asthma, primary care physicians and pediatricians. Questions asked about asthma control as well as overall asthma symptoms, impact of asthma on everyday life and treatments.
The first survey interviewed a total of 354 physicians, who saw at least seven patients diagnosed with asthma weekly, had been in practice for two or more years since residency, and had a practice that was mostly office- or clinic-based, and included 254 primary care physicians and 100 pediatricians. Interviews were conducted from December 5, 2006 to December 18, 2006. Figures for sex, years in practice and region were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their respective total populations.
The second survey interviewed a total of 585 asthma patients, ages 22-59, who took a prescription medication to treat their asthma, and 274 adult mothers who had at least one child under age 18 with asthma. Interviews were conducted from December 5, 2006 to January 3, 2007. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, and region were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their respective total populations. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.
With a pure probability sample of 254 primary care physicians and 585 asthma patients, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall primary care physician results have a sampling error of +/- 7 percentage points and the overall asthma patient results have a sampling error of +/- 6 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples may be higher and may vary. However, that does not take other sources of error into account. The online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
This research was made possible with support from Merck & Co., Inc.