Peak Flow Meter Utilisation in Asthma Self-Management

Asthma is a common chronic disease in Australia with suboptimal self-care. The peak flow meter (PFM) is a simple device recommended as part of asthma self-management, but is largely underutilised in current practice. This project aims to explore the prospect of a pharmacist-instigated asthma self-management intervention, and whether the introduction of a PFM with appropriate education can improve asthma control and engagement in asthma self-management. The study was designed as a crossover before-and-after randomised controlled-intervention pilot study. Twelve participants completed the study, who were adults living in Darwin, previously diagnosed with asthma and did not use a PFM regularly. Participants in the intervention group were provided with a PFM and asthma education. The study then evaluated participants' awareness and asthma control using validated questionnaires and formative feedback. The effects of PFM utilisation on asthma knowledge and asthma control were not statistically significant in either groups, however, the majority of participants' feedback indicated an increased awareness and better quantification of asthma control.