Evidence map›Paper›PMID 14760143›Full record

ReviewThorax2004

Written action plans for asthma: an evidence-based review of the key components.

P G Gibson, H Powell

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Thorax, 2004. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 113 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
113citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

113 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Written action plans for children with long-term conditions: A systematic review and synthesis of qualitative data.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2018
    Pooled it
  4. Personalised asthma action plans for adults with asthma.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2017
    Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Interventions for managing asthma in pregnancy.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014
    Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Guideline
  10. 2020 Brazilian Thoracic Association recommendations for the management of asthma.Jornal brasileiro de pneumologia : publicacao oficial da Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisilogia
    Guideline
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Long-term effects of negotiated treatment plans on self-management behaviors and satisfaction with care among women with asthma.The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma · 2013
    Trial
  15. Trial
  16. Peak flow measurements in children with asthma: what happens at school?The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma · 2009
    Trial
  17. Home use of albuterol for asthma exacerbations.Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology · 2009
    Trial
  18. Trial
  19. A prospective multicenter study of written action plans among emergency department patients with acute asthma.The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma · 2008
    Trial
  20. House dust mite allergen avoidance and self-management in allergic patients with asthma: randomised controlled trial.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2007
    Trial

53 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

P G GibsonHunter Medical Research Institute, Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. mdpgg@mail.newcastle.edu.au
H Powell

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWritten action plans for asthma facilitate the early detection and treatment of an asthma exacerbation. Several versions of action plans have been published but the key components have not been determined. A study was undertaken to determine the impact of individual components of written action plans on asthma health outcomes.

methodsRandomised controlled trials (n=26) that evaluated asthma action plans as part of asthma self-management education were identified. Action plans were classified as being individualised and complete if they specified when and how to increase treatment (n=17), and as incomplete (n=4) or non-specific (n=5) if they did not include these instructions.

resultsFor individualised complete written action plans the use of 2-4 action points and the use of both inhaled (ICS) and oral (OCS) corticosteroid consistently improved asthma outcomes. Action points based on personal best peak expiratory flow (PEF) consistently improved health outcomes while those based on percentage predicted PEF did not. The efficacy of incomplete action plans was inconclusive because of insufficient data. Non-specific action plans led to improvements in knowledge and symptoms.

conclusionIndividualised written action plans based on personal best PEF, using 2-4 action points, and recommending both ICS and OCS for treatment of exacerbations consistently improve asthma health outcomes. Other variations appear less beneficial or require further study. These observations provide a guide to the types of variations possible with written action plans, and strongly support the use of individualised complete written action plans.

Indexed as

Patient Care PlanningSelf CareAdultAsthmaEvidence-Based MedicineHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Identifiers

PMID14760143
PMCPMC1746945

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.