ABSTRACT
All guidelines, protocols and recommendations underline the importance of therapeutic education as a key element in asthma management and control. Considerable evidence supports the efficacy and effectiveness of this measure. Health personnel, as well as patients and their parents, can and should be educated with two main objectives: to achieve the best possible quality of life and to allow self control of the disease. These goals can be attained through an educational process that should be individually tailored, continuous, progressive, dynamic, and sequential. The process poses more than a few difficulties involving patients, health professionals, and the health systems. Knowledge of the various psychological factors that can be present in asthmatic patients, as well as the factors related to the highly prevalent phenomenon of non-adherence, is essential. Awareness of the factors influencing physician-patient-family communication is also highly important to achieve the objectives set in therapeutic education. The educational process helps knowledge and abilities to be acquired and allows attitudes and beliefs to be modified. Patients and caregivers should be provided with an individual written action plan based on symptoms and/or forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Periodic follow-up visits are also required.
Subject(s)
Asthma/therapy , Patient Education as Topic , Child , Humans , Patient Compliance , Patient Education as Topic/methods , Physician-Patient Relations , Self CareABSTRACT
Todas las recomendaciones, guías y protocolos establecen el papel de la educación terapéutica como elemento clave en el manejo y control del asma, disponiéndose de evidencias que demuestran su eficacia y efectividad. Tanto los profesionales sanitarios como los pacientes y sus familias pueden y han de ser formados y educados, con dos objetivos fundamentales: conseguir una óptima calidad de vida y una capacidad suficiente para manejar el asma de una forma autogestionada. Ello se puede conseguir a través de un proceso educativo que ha de ser individualizado, continuo, progresivo, dinámico y secuencial. En este proceso han de superarse no pocas dificultades, relacionadas con el paciente, con los profesionales y con el propio sistema sanitario. Es preciso conocer los diferentes aspectos psicológicos que pueden relacionarse con el paciente asmático, así como aquellos que están relacionados con el fenómeno tan prevalente de la falta de adherencia. El conocimiento de los factores que inciden en la comunicación médico-paciente-familia es de enorme importancia para conseguir los objetivos que se plantean en la educación terapéutica. El proceso educativo conduce, no sólo a la adquisición de conocimientos y habilidades, sino también a un cambio de actitudes y creencias. Es necesario proveer al paciente y a sus cuidadores de un plan de acción por escrito individualizado, basado en síntomas y/o flujo espiratorio máximo (FEM), ligado siempre a revisiones periódicas
All guidelines, protocols and recommendations underline the importance of therapeutic education as a key element in asthma management and control. Considerable evidence supports the efficacy and effectiveness of this measure. Health personnel, as well as patients and their parents, can and should be educated with two main objectives: to achieve the best possible quality of life and to allow self control of the disease. These goals can be attained through an educational process that should be individually tailored, continuous, progressive, dynamic, and sequential. The process poses more than a few difficulties involving patients, health professionals, and the health systems. Knowledge of the various psychological factors that can be present in asthmatic patients, as well as the factors related to the highly prevalent phenomenon of non-adherence, is essential. Awareness of the factors influencing physician-patient-family communication is also highly important to achieve the objectives set in therapeutic education. The educational process helps knowledge and abilities to be acquired and allows attitudes and beliefs to be modified. Patients and caregivers should be provided with an individual written action plan based on symptoms and/or forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Periodic follow-up visits are also required
