How well do asthma clinic patients understand their asthma?

Fifty asthmatic patients attending a hospital asthma clinic were interviewed to determine their understanding of their asthma and its treatment. Serious defects were found in their ability to judge the severity of their asthma, in their knowledge of medication, and in the correct action to take when deterioration in control occurred. Several risk factors previously identified in studies of asthma deaths were also present in this living population--in particular, delay in seeking medical help until critically ill, and lack of awareness of danger signs. There was evidence of poor patient-doctor contact and unsuccessful patient education.