Asthma Care Poor in the US?

"Less than a third of patients with asthma reported that their symptoms are well-controlled. The vast majority of patients experience asthma symptoms or exacerbations, and most report that asthma interferes with their lives," said Eli O. Meltzer, MD, clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California at San Diego.A synopsis of Dr. Eli O. Meltzer's presentation at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) 2010 Annual Scientific Meeting was authored by Fran Lowery in Asthma Care Poor in the United States. Lowery reports the dismal results of  a national survey showing the care of asthma is "suboptimal and that the disease remains poorly controlled", despite medical gains in asthma management."The messages are several from this survey," Dr. Meltzer said. "One, patients are not adequately cared for. Two, they're not adequately informed. Three, if they have had symptoms that often, they are not doing well and they had inadequate expectations. And fourth, doctors are not doing a good enough job educating their patients, monitoring them to make sure they are doing better, and making sure they are using the appropriate medications."Do you have asthma?  Where do your symptoms and treatment plan fit into the survey? Do you have a written action plan that adequately controls your asthma?If you have questions regarding your current asthma medications and treatment plan, please contact your healthcare provider, or if you live in the NYC area,  I invite you to  contact my office at 866-832-5537.  Communication is key to successful treatment.Read the entire article, Asthma Care Poor in the United States here. Visit NYCAllergyDoctor for an overview of my practice's Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Services.