Table 3.

Patient priorities concerning potential research targets as resulting from the questionnaire

Rank	Potential research target	Final score
1	More knowledge on the origins of asthma/COPD	11.6
2	New and more effective drugs	11.3
3	More knowledge on the relation between asthma/ COPD and other diseases (co‐morbidity)	9.8
4	Drugs that have less side‐effects	9.4
5	More knowledge on the mutual interaction of drugs	6.3
6	The adaptation of governmental rules concerning public places and workplaces	5.6
7	More compensation for medication and aids	4.9
8	Reduction of contributions for health insurances	4.4
9	Improvement of understanding and consideration by family and friends	4.0
10	Reduction of physical complaints that hamper daily life functioning	4.0
11	Reduction of fear for hypersensitivity and/ or symptoms during activities outside	4.0
12	Compensation of costs for house adaptation	3.6
13	Knowledge on effects and efficacies of alternative therapies*	3.5
14	Compensation of costs for activities	3.4
15	More time and understanding by general practitioners	3.4

Final scores refer to the average score given by all respondents.

*Alternative therapies or complementary therapies comprise all kinds of non‐traditional therapies, including homeopathy, orthomolecular medicine, yoga, breathing therapy, movement therapy, etc.

COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.