The Shift from Asthma Severity to Control
In developing the ACT for asthma needs, we followed a paradigm shift away from the severity of asthma and towards the ability to control the condition. Asthma experts assisted us in establishing cut-point scores for the asthma control test questionnaire to improve the survey’s clinical utility. These cut-points identify asthma patients with somewhat controlled or poorly controlled asthma. Additionally, clinically meaningful change score thresholds are available in our questionnaire for asthma patients to more appropriately monitor improvement or decline in a patient’s asthma control.
Optional ACT with Triggers (ACT-T)
The ACT-T is a brief questionnaire for asthma patients that assesses asthma control as well as provides a comprehensive listing of known environmental triggers that exacerbate asthma symptoms. Developed with guidance from asthma specialists, the “trigger list” includes two types of asthma triggers: allergic triggers and non-allergic triggers. Each “trigger” question asks the patient if the trigger currently worsens their asthma symptoms, and whether or not the patient is successful in avoiding the trigger. The objective behind the administration of the asthma trigger list alongside the asthma control test is to help asthma patients become more aware of the environmental stimuli that may be causing flares in their asthma symptoms. Such information may be useful in communicating with providers in finding the most appropriate therapy for patient asthma control.
