[Evaluation of a modular out-patient education program for adult asthmatics with office-based specialists--results of a controlled, randomized multicenter trial]

The efficacy of a modular education program for adult asthmatics was evaluated in a controlled, randomized multicenter trial under outpatient conditions for six months. The education was performed with material (patient handout and PowerPoint slides) of the MASA Program (i.e. a modular outpatient education program for adult asthmatics) according to the contents list of the NASA Program (i.e. a national education program for adult asthmatics). In total, 75 patients of seven asthma specialists were included. The complete data of 53 patients were obtained and evaluated. All patients had been diagnosed with asthma in the year before, most of them (54%) with moderately severe asthma. The patients in the intervention group attended a two-hour teaching program for three times; the control group once received a short introduction to the use of a peak-flow meter, an asthma diary and asthma emergency instructions. Compared to the control group, the intervention group patients showed significantly less mild asthma attacks. The mean requirement for inhalation of short-acting beta-agonists was 0.18 times vs. 1.5 times per week for the intervention and the control group, respectively (p = 0.0062). Another primary outcome was the number of unscheduled asthma-related visits to the doctor within six months. There was a trend to lower numbers in the intervention group, but due to the small number of patients the results did not reach significance. The same applies to the patients' estimation of their quality of life, measured by the SF-36 questionnaire. Patients in the intervention group had a significantly better knowledge about their disease (improvement in the number of correctly answered questions: 6.7 times in the intervention and 5.5 times in the control group; p = 0.0062) and showed a better adherence to their regular medication. In conclusion, this trial proves the quality of the MASA education program and its feasibility in the outpatient setting of a chest physician's practice, and it demonstrates the efficacy of outpatient education programs for asthmatics.