Randomised comparison of cost effectiveness of guided self management and traditional treatment of asthma in Finland

Abstract

In many countries the cost of caring for patients with asthma is high.1 Guidelines have recommended guided self management for the treatment of asthma. 2 3 We recently compared the efficacy of guided self management with traditional treatment for asthma4 and here report the cost effectiveness of the two treatments. One hundred and fifteen patients with mild to moderately severe asthma were randomly allocated guided self management or traditional treatment. The 56 patients allocated guided self management were given personal education and they were taught to measure their peak expiratory flow rate every morning for a year. If the value fell below 85% of their predetermined optimal value on any morning they were instructed to double their dose of inhaled corticosteroid for 2 weeks. If the value fell below 70% of the optimal value on any morning they were to take oral prednisolone (40 mg/day) for 7 days and immediately contact their nurse or doctor. The 59 patients allocated traditional …