Better Asthma Control With Allergists
Reported November 21, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — You may be able to better control your asthma if you’re seeing an allergist. New research shows asthma patients who go to an allergist have fewer asthma control problems and less severe asthma than those seeing a primary care physician for the condition.
Kaiser-Permanente researchers in San Diego surveyed a random sample of 3,568 asthma patients in an integrated health care system. Compared to patients seeing a primary care physician, they find patients under the care of an allergist were less likely to have required hospitalization or have unscheduled physician visits during the past year. They were also more likely to use inhaled steroids, and less likely to have overused Beta-agonists, a rescue medication.
“Patients with asthma should not have to miss school, work or recreational activities because of their symptoms,” says Michael Schatz, M.D., M.S., of Kaiser-Permanente and former President of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. “This research shows that patients under the care of an allergist have better quality of life, fewer hospitalizations, need less rescue medicine and generally report higher satisfaction with their quality of care.”
SOURCE: Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, published online Nov. 17, 2005