The asthma health outcome indicators study.

Health outcomes have become an important public health policy focus in Australia. The New South Wales Health Department's Health Outcomes Program includes asthma as one of its priority areas. This study combined a survey of a non-random sample of 14 asthma researchers and clinicians and the results of a literature review to determine the current status and validity of outcome indicators used in relation to asthma. A written questionnaire was used to present individual patient, clinical trial, school intervention and public health scenarios, and respondents were asked to nominate asthma outcome indicators they would use in each scenario as well as their estimate of the indicators' validity. The results provide a critical appraisal of a variety of asthma outcome indicators with regard to their repeatability, and their concurrent and predictive validity.