Evaluation of the effect of the diagnostic and therapeutic advices given by an Asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) service on the referring general practitioners and their patients
Completed
- Conditions
- Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)RespiratoryOther chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Registration Number
- ISRCTN45174826
- Lead Sponsor
- Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI) (The Netherlands)
- Brief Summary
Not available
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- Completed
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 1000
Inclusion Criteria
All general practices in and around the city of Eindhoven could be included as long as they used the facilities of the Diagnostic Centre, which the Asthma/COPD-service is a part of. Although they should not have any experience with the support of the Asthma/COPD-service. They were also excluded in case they had employed a praktijkondersteuner (specialised nurse or assistant) for the Asthma/COPD disease management.
In the intervention as well as in the control practices, all patients 12 years and older that have airway complaints could participate as long as they were not treated by a lung specialist.
Exclusion Criteria
See inclusion criteria.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method 1. Do general practitioners assess better diagnoses, according tot the NHG-standards, in Asthma/COPD-patients: do more patients have a correct diagnosis, do less patients have a wrong or incomplete diagnosis or no diagnosis at all?<br>2. Do general practitioners give their patients a better treatment, according to the NHG-standards: do more patients get the right medication, do less patients get wrong or unnecessary medication. Do patients receive more information about their disease and about self management?<br>3. Do patients have a better compliance, do they better follow the advices about stop smoking, exercise, do they have fewer complaints and a better quality of life?
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method 1. Validity and reliability of the assessment and the reports of the Asthma/COPD-service<br>2. Epidemiological data about the prevalence of Asthma/COPD in general practices, the (incorrect) use of medication of in general practice<br>3. Costs of a support as given by the Asthma/COPD-service, related to the diagnostic and therapeutic gain in patient care