Outcomes analysis in asthma
M. S. Blaiss
Physicians, patients, employers, managed care organizations, insurance
companies, and government all want to know how different approaches to
management of asthma are improving care. To this end, the field of outcomes
analysis in asthma is playing a major role. Clinical, physiologic,
humanistic, and economic outcomes are being assessed using different types
of general and asthma-specific instruments. Historically, clinical and
physiologic outcomes have been of most concern to clinicians. However,
humanistic outcomes, such as health-related quality of life and patient
satisfaction, shift the focus to the patient. Economic outcomes, especially
cost-effectiveness, evaluate how to achieve the best outcomes at the lowest
cost. These outcomes have been used to evaluate asthma intervention
programs. Several large asthma outcomes research projects, which should
define the future of outcomes analysis in asthma, are under way.
