Main navigation

Vol 37, (9) 710-714

Asthma management in general practice - A chronic disease health priority

Steven Rudolphy MBBS, FRACGP, is Senior Lecturer, General Practice & Rural Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns Base Hospital Campus, and a general practitioner, Mt Sheridan, Queensland.

BACKGROUND Asthma mortality rates in Australia have declined over the past 20 years but are not low by international standards. Evidence based guidelines such as the National Asthma Council’s Asthma management handbook, Enhanced Primary Care financial incentives, and practice recall infrastructure can be utilised in general practice to manage patients with asthma.

OBJECTIVE This article provides an overview of asthma management based on the National Asthma Council’s Asthma management handbook.

DISCUSSION Asthma is one of the Australian Government’s chronic disease health priorities. To promote ideal asthma care and management, incentives such as the Asthma Cycle of Care, GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements have been instituted. However, trends in the use of these incentives must be maintained if we are to continue to reduce Australia’s asthma mortality rate.

Publication Date: 4 September 2008
Authorised By: Australian Family Physician