Assessment of Asthma Control Level in Primary Care Setting in Malaysia

Despite the availability of GINA global guideline on asthma management which is widely referred by health care providers in Malaysia, the control of asthma is still a critical challenge. According to National Health and Morbidity Survey 2011, the prevalence of asthma in Malaysia is at 6.3%. Based on self-rated health status, 5.5% of patients were reported to be in good health whereas 9.9% reported poor health status although medications such as inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting beta agonists (LABA) are widely available for effective asthma management. There is limited data to assess the level of asthma control at the Primary Care Setting in Malaysia which includes current clinical manifestation and future risk of exacerbation. Given the lack of data on Asthma control level, the awareness on the current disease control level will assist to properly characterise the patients based on GINA control level thus leading to appropriate diagnosis and treatment. The specific objective of the study is to assess, in real-life clinical practice in Malaysia, the level of GINA-defined asthma control and the potential risk factors for uncontrolled disease in asthma patients.