Improving the treatment of nocturnal asthma: use of an office questionnaire to identify nocturnal asthma symptoms

Nocturnal asthma is a major problem in many asthma patients and it is important to recognize and treat it. We previously reported the incidence of nocturnal asthma in our practice (1); the current study was done to try to improve upon the incidence of nocturnal asthma in our patients. After our previous survey, which indicated a 67% incidence of nocturnal asthma in our practice, we instituted a previsit questionnaire regarding nocturnal asthma to be filled out by all follow-up asthma patients in our office. After a period of time, we mailed a nocturnal asthma questionnaire to all asthma patients to see if the intervention had improved our incidence of nocturnal asthma. This questionnaire was identical to the one used in our prior study and was mailed to 2019 patients. We had 602 responders, 560 of whom had asthma. A total of 328 of these patients (59%) had nocturnal asthma. This was similar to the results of our previous survey, and our initial conclusion was that the new in-office questionnaire that we instituted had not improved the situation. Then we discovered that the in-office questionnaire had inadvertently been distributed only to the patients of one or our physicians (Dr. A). His patients were then compared with those of the other two doctors (Drs. B and C), and it was found that Dr. A's patients had fewer nocturnal symptoms than did the patients of the other doctors. The percent of asthmatics with nocturnal asthma 4-7 nights per week (more than half the nights in a week) for Dr. A was 16%, for Dr. B 47%, and for Dr. C 39%. The use of a short office questinnaire for asthma patients before they see the doctor for follow-up visits leads to greater recognition and better treatment of nocturnal asthma.