RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Disease Management Programs for Patients With Asthma in Germany: A Longitudinal Population-Based Study
JF Respiratory Care
FD American Association for Respiratory Care
SP 1170
OP 1177
DO 10.4187/respcare.01968
VO 58
IS 7
A1 Michael Mehring
A1 Ewan Donnachie
A1 Robert Mutschler
A1 Frank Hofmann
A1 Manfred Keller
A1 Antonius Schneider
YR 2013
UL http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/58/7/1170.abstract
AB BACKGROUND: The primary aim of the disease management program (DMP) for patients with asthma is to improve health outcomes and to reduce costs. Five years after its introduction in Germany, no consensus has yet been reached as to whether DMP has been effective in reaching these goals. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the DMP for asthma in Bavaria using routinely collected subject medical records. METHODS: A longitudinal population-based study encompassing over 100,000 DMP participants between 2006 (when the program began) and 2010. RESULTS: The prescription rate of oral corticosteroids dropped from 15.7% in 2006 to 13.6% in 2007, and again from 7.5% in 2008 to 5.9% in 2010 (P < .001). The proportion of subjects with asthma self-management education increased from 4.4% to 23.4% (P < .001). Utilization of an individual asthma action plan increased from 40.3% to 69.3% (P < .001). Hospitalization decreased from 2.8% to 0.7% (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In the first 4 years of DMP there was an improvement in pharmacotherapy and patient self management. The proportion of subjects requiring hospitalization decreased. Our results suggest that the German DMP for asthma has been effective in enhancing the quality of care in regard to an improved symptom frequency, adherence to guidelines, pharmacotherapy, and hospitalization.