Types of studies evaluating the adherence to asthma guidelines and the proportion of studies demonstrating beneficial clinical and adherence outcomes among the studies evaluating such outcomes
| Total N | RCTs n | Before-after n | Comparative observational study n | Beneficial clinical outcomes | Beneficial process outcomes | |
| Assessment and management of asthma during stable disease state | ||||||
| Additional patient specific input by a specialised health professional | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 8/12 (66.7) | 10/11 (90.9) |
| Asthma care pathway | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2/2 (100) | 3/3 (100) | |
| Computer decision-support systems | 7 | 6 | 1 | 3/5 (60) | 4/7 (57.1) | |
| Introduction of a local or national guideline | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0/1 (0) | 2/4 (50) |
| Medical education | 12 | 7 | 5 | 1/4 (25) | 5/10 (50) | |
| Quality improvement process | 11 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 4/6 (66.7) | 8/10 (80) |
| Participation in a clinical trial | 1 | 1 | 0/1 (0) | 0/1 (0) | ||
| Assessment and management of acute asthma attacks | ||||||
| Acute asthma care pathway | 12 | 11 | 1 | 1/8 (12.5) | 10/12 (83.3) | |
| Additional patient specific input by a specialised health professional | 1 | 1 | 0/0 (N/A) | 1/1 (100) | ||
| Computer decision-support systems | 1 | 1 | 0/0 (N/A) | 1/1 (100) | ||
| Introduction of a local or national guideline | 1 | 1 | 0/0 (N/A) | 0/1 (0) | ||
| Medical education | 1 | 1 | 0/0 (N/A) | 0/1 (0) | ||
| Quality improvement process | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2/3 (66.7) | 6/7 (85.7) |
Data are presented as n/N (%), unless otherwise stated. RCT: randomised controlled trial; N/A: not available.