OBJECTIVE: To quantify the use of health care resources among patients enrolled in the Bahia State Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis Control Program. METHODS: As of January of 2006, 1405 patients had enrolled in the program, which is carried out in four referral centers in the city of Salvador. These patients formed the basis of this retrospective/prospective, observational cohort study. The preliminary analysis involved 269 consecutive patients, all above the age of 12 and diagnosed with severe asthma. After being seen by pulmonologists, nurses, pharmacologists and psychologists, the patients received inhaled asthma medications. Based on patient interviews and charts, the year preceding enrollment in the program was compared with the first year enrolled in the program in terms of the following quantifiable parameters: hospital admissions; emergency room visits; courses of oral corticosteroids; and days of school/work missed due to asthma attacks. RESULTS: In this sample of patients with severe asthma, enrollment in the program resulted in significant reductions in the number of emergency room visits and hospital admissions (of 85% and 90%, respectively). There were also reductions in the number of school/work days missed due to asthma attacks and in the number of courses of oral corticosteroids (of 86% and 67%, respectively). CONCLUSION: A program designed to control severe asthma in referral outpatient clinics and including pharmacological services at no charge can lead to a pronounced reduction in the demand for Unified Health Care System resources.
OBJECTIVE: To quantify the use of health care resources among patients enrolled in the Bahia State Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis Control Program. METHODS: As of January of 2006, 1405 patients had enrolled in the program, which is carried out in four referral centers in the city of Salvador. These patients formed the basis of this retrospective/prospective, observational cohort study. The preliminary analysis involved 269 consecutive patients, all above the age of 12 and diagnosed with severe asthma. After being seen by pulmonologists, nurses, pharmacologists and psychologists, the patients received inhaled asthma medications. Based on patient interviews and charts, the year preceding enrollment in the program was compared with the first year enrolled in the program in terms of the following quantifiable parameters: hospital admissions; emergency room visits; courses of oral corticosteroids; and days of school/work missed due to asthma attacks. RESULTS: In this sample of patients with severe asthma, enrollment in the program resulted in significant reductions in the number of emergency room visits and hospital admissions (of 85% and 90%, respectively). There were also reductions in the number of school/work days missed due to asthma attacks and in the number of courses of oral corticosteroids (of 86% and 67%, respectively). CONCLUSION: A program designed to control severe asthma in referral outpatient clinics and including pharmacological services at no charge can lead to a pronounced reduction in the demand for Unified Health Care System resources.
Authors: Alvaro A Cruz; Adelmir Souza-Machado; Rosana Franco; Carolina Souza-Machado; Eduardo V Ponte; Pablo Moura Santos; Maurício L Barreto Journal: World Allergy Organ J Date: 2010-04-23 Impact factor: 4.084
Authors: Rafael Stelmach; Alcindo Cerci Neto; Ana Cristina de Carvalho Fernandez Fonseca; Eduardo Vieira Ponte; Gerardo Alves; Ildely Niedia Araujo-Costa; Laura Maria de Lima Belizário Facury Lasmar; Luci Keiko Kuromoto de Castro; Maria Lucia Medeiros Lenz; Paulo Silva; Alberto Cukier; Alexssandra Maia Alves; Aline Silva Lima-Matos; Amanda da Rocha Oliveira Cardoso; Ana Luisa Godoy Fernandes; Bruno Piassi de São-José; Carlos Antônio Riedi; Deborah Schor; Décio Medeiros Peixoto; Diego Djones Brandenburg; Elineide Gomes Dos Santos Camillo; Faradiba Sarquis Serpa; Heli Vieira Brandão; João Antonio Bonfadini Lima; Jorge Eduardo Pio; Jussara Fiterman; Maria de Fátima Anderson; Maria do Socorro de Lucena Cardoso; Marcelo Tadday Rodrigues; Marilyn Nilda Esther Urrutia Pereira; Marti Antila; Sonia Maria Martins; Vanessa Gonzaga Tavares Guimarães; Yara Arruda Marques Mello; Wenderson Clay Correia de Andrade; William Salibe-Filho; Zelina Maria da Rocha Caldeira; Álvaro Augusto Souza da Cruz-Filho; Paulo Camargos Journal: J Bras Pneumol Date: 2015 Jan-Feb Impact factor: 2.624
Authors: Cláudia Silva Dias; Maria Angélica Salles Dias; Amélia Augusta de Lima Friche; Maria Cristina de Mattos Almeida; Thaís Claudino Viana; Sueli Aparecida Mingoti; Waleska Teixeira Caiaffa Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2016-07-12 Impact factor: 3.390