Suggestions For Working With Your Doctor

• Anyone who has asthma, needs to have a regular doctor.
  
  
• Form a partnership with your doctor to help you control asthma.
  
  
• Visit your doctor once or twice a year for an asthma checkup even if there are no problems.
  
  
• Know what you want from the visit
  (eg. check up, discuss a problem).
  
  
• State what you want when you book the appointment.
  
  
• Children should be encouraged to give information and ask questions.
  
  
• Be prepared for your visit with the doctor.

What Do I Need To Take?

• Asthma diary
• Asthma action plan
• All medicines
• List of questions in order of importance

What Does My Doctor Need to Know?

• symptoms - what they are, when they occur, how often, how severe
  
  
• Triggers - what you think causes symptoms
  
  
• Emergency visits or hospital admissions for asthma
  
  
• Activities missed or limited by asthma
  
  
• Peak flow readings (if recorded)
  
  
• Use of asthma medicines - what, when, how much
  
  
• Use of other medicines (eg. over the counter medicines)
  
  
• Use of other treatments (eg. herbs, vitamins)
  
  

What Should I Expect From The Visit?

• Listen to your concerns
  
  
• Answer your questions
  
  
• Review medicines - what they are, how they are used
  
  
• Explain any new medicine suggested
  
  
• Make sure you have prescriptions
  
  
• Review other instructions (eg. trigger avoidance)
  
  
• Review and update an asthma action plan
  
  
• Refer you for further asthma education if needed
  
  

What Should My Doctor Expect From Me?

• Follow the plan you make together (avoid triggers, use medicine as directed)
  
  
• Ask questions if you don’t understand
  
  
• Say if you have concerns about anything suggested
  
  
• Let him or her know if you have a problem with the action plan
  (eg. paying for the medicine)
  
  

What Do I Need To Know?

• How to contact your doctor between visits
  
  
• How to refill medicine between visits
  
  
• Where to go for asthma education
  
  
• When to return for a follow up visit
  
  

What Is Asthma Control?

• Daytime symptoms less than 4 days a week (cough, wheeze, tight chest, short of breath)
  
  
• Nighttime symptoms less than 1 night a week
  
  
• Normal physical activity
  
  
• Mild, infrequent asthma episodes
  
  
• No days missed from work or school
  
  
• Use of reliever medicine for symptoms less than 4 times a week*
  
  
Canadian Consensus Guidelines for Asthma Control (1999, 2001)

^* A reliever may also be used up to once a day before exercise to prevent problems with asthma.