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GPs are told they need to write out an asthma action plan for asthmatic patients. But if the doctor is seeing the patient regularly and actively monitoring a patient's asthma, does it matter if there is no written plan? The answer, according to a review of the international evidence, is no. It makes sense to give people more control over their medical care, especially if they have a condition that can turn nasty quickly. One such situation is moderate to severe asthma. These are people who have frequent enough symptoms to require daily preventive medication and at the severe end may be restricted in their activities with poor lung function. General practitioners have been told for years that what they need to do is write out an asthma action plan for patients, so people can look after themselves more effectively. These days, GPs even get paid for doing it. But by and large the plans don't get written despite plenty of evidence that they prevent hospitalisation and days off work. The question is does it matter - if a doctor is seeing you regularly and actively monitoring your asthma, teaching you about it and adjusting the treatment? The answer according to a review of the international evidence is no. Both the written plans and very active follow up work equally as well. One key is to recognise the signs of worsening asthma like needing more reliever medication - that's puffers like Ventolin, more wheezing and coughing on exercise, having a disturbed night's sleep and so on.
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