Morice 2001.
Methods | STUDY DESIGN: Parallel group trial LOCATION, NUMBER OF CENTRES: UK, large teaching hospital DURATION OF STUDY: 18 months DESCRIPTION OF WITHDRAWALS/DROPOUTS: 10 out of 40 in the control group and 5 out of 40 in the intervention group did not return responded to the questionnaire TYPE OF ANALYSIS (AVAILABLE CASE/TREATMENT RECEIVED/ ITT): Intention‐to‐treat analysis COMPLIANCE: Not assessed CONFOUNDERS: Not mentioned | |
Participants | N SCREENED: 80 N RANDOMISED: 80 N COMPLETED (at 6 months): 65 M = 53 F = 27 MEAN AGE: 36.1 years CHARACTERISTICS: Prior use of ICS at 1 mg: 47.5% INCLUSION CRITERIA: admitted on the general medical take to a large teaching hospital with a documented primary diagnosis of acute asthma EXCLUSION CRITERIA: chronic obstructive respiratory disease, previously participated in an educational programme from a hospital‐based asthma nurse, unable or unwilling to complete a series of follow‐up questionnaires | |
Interventions | Education group: subsequent visits of the asthma nurse until discharge from hospital. A minimum of 2 sessions of 30 minutes each; 1)discussion about mechanisms, triggers and booklet 2) summary of first session, self‐management plan peak flow meter+instructions and Sheffield Asthma Card with emergency phone numbers and, 3) last visit where patients were encouraged to express fears or anxieties related to their home management Control group: usual care Both groups: seen by the asthma nurse as a single interviewer within 48 hours of admission FOLLOW‐UP PERIOD: 18 months |
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Outcomes | Preferred action taken on worsening of asthma symptoms (GP urgent visits, GP call‐outs, accident and emergency visits, re‐admissions); withdrawal/loss to follow up | |
Notes | ||
Risk of bias | ||
Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Information not available |
Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Information not available |
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | Study participants aware as to treatment group assignment Information on blinding of outcome assessors not clear |
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | 10 out of 40 in the control group and 5 out of 40 in the intervention group did not return responded to the questionnaire. Analysis described as intention‐to‐treat. |
Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | Review primary outcome measured, analysed and disclosed in full. |
Other bias | Low risk | No other sources of bias could be identified. |