Have You Taken the ACT Test ? (ASTHMA CONTROL TEST)

Assessment of asthma control has become a main theme of many publications and seminars on asthma across the United States. For many years we have lacked an effective and practical guideline for measuring  response to asthma treatment. In the last ten years a number of questionnaires have been formulated to evaluate the success or failure of asthma treatment. Many of them are too long for everyday use in a busy office or clinic.

The ACT recently became available for doctors to use along with the physical exam and pulmonary function testing (PFT). Guidelines published by the NIH (National Institute of Health) and WHO (World Health Organization) recommend periodic assessment of asthma control. Pulmonary function testing should be done every 1-2 years.

The Asthma Control Test is based on answering five questions which reflect on how often there are chest symptoms, shortness of breath, limitations on activity, interruption of sleep and overall impression of asthma control. The answers are based on a 5 point scale for each question. The numbers are added up to determine whether there is adequate control, by scoring greater than 19 out of 25 possible points. There is a slightly different ACT for children under 12 years of age (age 4 to 11).

Ask your doctor about the Asthma Control Test. You can find more information on several web sites that discuss asthma management (try keyword: "Asthma Control Test" ). Remember, the ACT is a tool for doctors to assess control of their patients. Decisions on medication changes should be made by your doctor. If you have concerns about your asthma control talk to your doctor.