Abstract
SETTING: The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines have not been implemented effectively in primary care settings in Viet Nam. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the proportion of patients with controlled asthma and the direct health care costs of managing asthma according to GINA guidelines at four out-patient clinics in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Viet Nam. METHODS: One hundred and six patients with asthma were treated and followed up according to GINA guidelines for 12 months. Clinical and pulmonary function responses and direct health care costs were evaluated every 3 months during the study. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with controlled asthma rose from 1.0% at the start of the study to 36.8% by the end of the study (P < 0.0001). The proportion of patients who had at least one hospitalisation per year decreased significantly, from 32.1% to 5.7% (P < 0.0001). The annual per patient median direct health care cost was US$169. Using asthma controllers continuously gave better asthma control than using them intermittently (OR 12.9, 95%CI 4.7-35.7). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of GINA guidelines at out-patient clinics in HCMC, Viet Nam, improved asthma control with modest direct health care costs.