Development of a questionnaire weighted scoring system to target diagnostic examinations for asthma in adults: a modelling study

Abstract

Background: Identification and treatment of unrecognised asthmatics in the community is important for improving the health of the individual and minimising cost and quality of life burden. It is not practical to offer clinical diagnostic assessment to whole communities, and a simple tool such as a questionnaire is required to identify a smaller target group. Conventional questionnaire screening methods which separate individuals into positive and negative categories have resulted in large numbers of individuals requiring clinical assessment. This study has therefore developed and tested a weighted scoring system that prioritises those most urgently in need, based on their questionnaire responses.

Systematic review of clinical prediction models to support the diagnosis of asthma in primary care

“…Six studies used multivariable logistic regression to derive their prediction models. 14,15,17,18,20,21 One study developed a decision tree. 19 Six models were derived from adults, 14,17–21 and one from children.…”

Study of Folate Status Among Egyptian Asthmatics

“…One possible explanation for these conflicting findings may be the investigators' use of questionnaires as screening tools for the presence of asthma. Validation studies on questionnaires have shown that a single question on the presence of wheeze or physiciandiagnosed asthma is not a highly sensitive screening tool (26,27). In contrast, we diagnosed asthma objectively by a physician at a clinic, for patients currently complaining of wheeze, using the GINA 2007 guidelines (14), without depending on self-reporting of either wheeze or physiciandiagnosed asthma.…”

A scoring algorithm for predicting the presence of adult asthma: a prospective derivation study

“…A consequence of attrition is biasing of samples that leads to a lack of generalisability to the target population. However, since the prevalence of asthma — upon which the pre-test probability is dependent — is the same as in previous reports, 28,29 our pre- and post-test probability is assumed to be generalisable to the diagnosis of asthma in patients with suspected symptoms of asthma. Second, our scoring system requires external validation in a different patient population.…”