Introduction

This concept contains information on the methods used at MCHP to define and identify asthma care controlled by medication use, and provides additional information by identifying the MCHP research that has investigated asthma care controlled by medication use, including links to the details and findings presented in each of the research projects listed.

Defining Asthmatics and Medications for Asthma Care

Guidelines for the treatment of asthma recommend that all patients who require the use of acute medication (e.g., beta 2-agonists) more than once a day should also be treated with long acting anti-inflammatory medication for long-term control (Becker et al., 2003).

Asthmatics were defined as individuals with two or more prescriptions for beta 2-agonists (ATC codes R03AA, R03AB, R03AC).

Note: Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), defined as filling a prescription for ipratropium bromide (ATC codes R01AX03, R03AK04, R03BB01), are excluded.

Medications recommended for the long-term control of asthma are identified as:


• inhaled corticosteroids - ATC code = R03BA,
  
• leukotriene modifiers - ATC code = R03DC, or
  
• other drugs used for obstructive airway disease - ATC code = R03AK.

The data for prescriptions/medications is available in the Drug Program Information Network (DPIN) Data.

Rates of Asthma Care Controlled by Medication Use in MCHP Research

The following is a list of MCHP research describing how they investigated asthma care controlled by medication use, along with links to the details and findings of this research. The rates presented for asthma care controlled by medication use in the research are typically calculated as the proportion of residents with asthma receiving medications recommended for long-term control of their disease.


• In Fransoo et al. (2005), they compare the rates of asthma care controlled by medication use for males and females by RHA, RHA District, income quintile and age. See section 11.2 Asthma Care: Controller Medication Use for more information.
  
  
• In Fransoo et al. (2009), they compare the rates of asthma care controlled by medication use for two time periods (2000/01 and 2005/06) by RHA, RHA District and Winnipeg Neighbourhood Cluster. See section 13.2 Asthma Care: Controller Medication Use for more information.
  
  
• In Martens et al. (2010), they compare the rates of asthma care controlled by medication use for a Metis cohort and all other Manitobans for 2006/07 by RHA and Winnipeg Community Areas, and by Metis Regions. See section 14.2 Asthma Care: Prevalence of Controller Medication Use for more information.
  
  
• In Chartier et al. (2012), they compare the rate ratios of asthma care controlled by medication use for a Francophone cohort to all other Manitobans for 2008/09 by RHA and Winnipeg Community Areas, and other regional groupings. See section 14.2 Asthma Care: Controller Medication Use for more information.
  
  
• In Fransoo et al. (2013), they compare the rates of asthma care controlled by medication use for two time periods (2006/07 and 2011/12) by RHA (both current (5) RHAs and former (11) RHAs), RHA District and Winnipeg Neighbourhood Cluster. See section 11.2 Asthma Care: Controller Medication Use for more information.
  
  
• In Katz et al. (2014), they compare the rates of asthma care controlled by medication use for patients related to the implementation of Physician Integrated Network (PIN) clinics. See the section titled Asthma Care for more information.
  
  
• In Fransoo et al. (2019), they compare the rates of asthma care controlled by medication use for two time periods (2011/12 and 2016/17) by RHA. See section 6.2 Asthma Care: Controller Medication Use for more information.