Asthma is a complicated illness, so quality care is of great importance. Without quality care, you are more likely to:
- Be admitted to the hospital
- Visit the emergency department for your asthma
- Develop more severe asthma symptoms
- Be less satisfied with your asthma
Does getting care from a primary care doctor vs. an allergist make a difference? You will probably get different answers depending on who you ask and the research has been mixed. However, research has demonstrated some trends.
Quality Care-- Primary Care Compared to Allergist
Patients treated by allergists have reported better quality of life -- both in general and specifically related to asthma -- compared to patients treated by primary care physicians. Patients treated by allergists were slightly less likely to be admitted to the hospital, need emergency department treatment, require oral steroids, or overuse their rescue inhaler. Importantly, a higher percentage of asthmatics were on inhaled steroids as part of their treatment regimen.
Quality Care Allergist Compared to Pulmonologists
Overall, groups of patients cared for by pulmonologists appear to possibly have more severe asthma compared to those treated by primary care physicians or allergists. Research does not support differences in outcomes of asthma care between the care of pulmonologists and allergists.
Asthma Specialist-- What Is the Answer
There are small, but real, differences in the outcomes of asthma care in primary care compared to care from an allergist or pulmonologist. As such, if you meet any of the criteria for referral to see an allergist or pulmonologist, your asthma care may benefit.
Source:
Schatz M, Zeiger RS, Mosen D et. al. Improved asthma outcomes from allergy specialist care: A population-based cross-sectional analysis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005 Dec;116(6):1307-13.
