Assessment of Shared Decision Making Aids in Asthma

Inclusion criteria

• Men or women, aged 18 to 65 years;
• Current diagnosis of mild to severe asthma; 2.1) Asthma diagnosis will be made upon one of the following criteria: 2.1.1) Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) increases by at least 12% after the use of a bronchodilator (and a minimum ≥ 200 mL); 2.1.2) Current asthma symptoms and a positive methacholine challenge test (20% fall in FEV1 after inhalation of a provocative dose of methacholine 16 mg/mL); 2.1.3) A respirologist's current diagnosis of asthma found in the patient's medical report. 2.2) Severity of asthma will be assessed according to prescribed pharmacotherapy, as suggested by the 2012 Canadian Thoracic Society Guidelines: 2.2.1) Patients with mild asthma using SABA as well as low doses (≤250 mcg/day beclomethasone or equivalent) of inhaled glucocorticosteroids; 2.2.2) Patients with moderate asthma using SABA as well as low to moderate doses (250mcg/day < dose ≤500 mcg/day beclomethasone or equivalent) of inhaled glucocorticosteroids, with or without additional therapy (LABA or LTRA); 2.2.3) Patients with severe asthma using high doses (>500 mcg/day beclomethasone or equivalent) of inhaled glucocorticosteroids, and additional pharmacotherapy (LABA, LTRA, or Prednisone), and SABA.

Exclusion criteria

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
• Education on asthma in the last 6 months.