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Biomedical subjects

Marina Erhola

Publications and source records attributed to Marina Erhola.

3 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Asthma programme in Finland: comparison of adult asthma referral letters in 1994 and 2001.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of asthma-related referral letters at the launch of the Asthma Programme in 1994 and 7 years later in 2001. METHODS: All referrals during 1 year (n=1121 in 1994, n=1136 in 2001) to one pulmonary department were screened in 2001. By the same inclusion criteria of asthma or suspicion of asthma, 624 letters (56% of all) from the year 1994 and 452 (40% of all) from the year 2001 were selected. The quality of study letters was assessed against the previously developed asthma referral letter criteria. Comparison of the referral letter quality in 1994 and 2001 was made. RESULTS: The proportion of poor letters decreased from 63% in 1994 to 44% in 2001, while that of good letters increased from 7% to 22%. Graphics of peak flow follow-up measurements (14% vs. 40%) and spirometry with bronchodilatation test (5% vs. 32%) were included significantly more often as an attachment. CONCLUSION: Lung functions are being measured more often in primary care, indication a more active detection of asthma. The number of asthma-related referrals in relation to all pulmonary consultation referrals decreased and their quality improved during the years of the Asthma Programme.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Asthma Programme in Finland: high consensus between general practitioners and pulmonologists on the contents of an asthma referral letter.

AIMS: The purpose of the present study was to define quality criteria for an asthma referral letter using a national co-operative effort between general practitioners and pulmonologists. METHODS: A consensus-seeking expert panel representing primary and secondary health care merged evidence from the literature and existing national and local asthma programmes to produce 19 provisional criteria to be included in an asthma referral letter. These criteria were contained within a national questionnaire review which was sent out to groups of Finnish physicians. The target groups for the review were all chief pulmonologists in specialist care (n = 32), and representatives of all Finnish health centres (n = 283) - either the chief physician (n = 143) or the local asthma co-ordinating physician (n = 140). RESULTS: The overall response rate to the national questionnaire study was 75%. The three groups of responding physicians had very similar gradings on the necessity of the 19 provisional criteria, most of which were considered very necessary. 14 final disease-specific criteria for an asthma referral letter were derived as a result of this study. CONCLUSION: The main result of this study is an agreed data set of essential information that needs to be included in an asthma referral letter. Importantly these criteria were developed by general practitioners and pulmonologists together.

Journal Article↗