Asthma outcome measures.

Annually, asthma accounts for 10.4 million physician visits, 468,000 hospitalizations, 1.8 million emergency room visits, and 10 million missed school days. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of asthma deaths has increased progressively since 1978 form 1,800 to 5,400 per year. It is an expensive disease, accounting for about 1% of all health expenditure in the United States in 1990. Asthma has a significant impact on the patient and the community at large and the assessment of the clinical, physiologic, humanistic and economic outcomes will be measured.