Concordance between physician's assessment of asthma control and quality of life in children

Background: Discordance between perceived quality of life of the child/caregiver and the physician9s assessment of asthma control may play an important role in the degree of treatment adherence. Aim of this study was to determine the level of concordance between physician9s assessment of asthma control and patients9 and their caregivers9 asthma-related quality of life. Methods: Children (aged 7-17years) with asthma, on follow up at KK Women9s and Children9s Hospital, Singapore, were studied. Demographics and clinical details were collected. Assessment of asthma control was made by the attending physician based on Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines. The children completed the interviewer-administered version of the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) and the caregivers completed the self-administered versions of the PAQLQ and the Paediatric Asthma Caregiver9s Quality of Life Questionnaire (PACQLQ). Results: 100 children (mean age=11.6 [SD=3.0] years, 55 [55.0%] males) were studied. Asthma was assessed to be well-controlled in 38 (38.0%), partially-controlled in 55 (55.0%), and uncontrolled in 7 (7.0%). There was a significant positive association between the physician9s assessment of of child9s asthma control and the child9s quality of life, assessed by both the child (p=0.0020) and the caregiver (p=0.0018). However, there was no significant association between asthma control and the caregiver9s quality of life. Conclusions: Asthma-related quality of life of children assessed using the PAQLQ correlates with physician9s assessment of asthma control and hence may be a useful patient centric tool in the holistic evaluation of children with asthma.