Background: Since 1985, nurse-run asthma clinics have been developing and are now
widespread in the United Kingdom, having been greatly stimulated by the New Contract for
General Practice (1990). To date, there have been few definitive studies evaluating such
clinics. This study, in two adjacent general practices in semi-rural Somerset, evaluates the
effect of nurse-run clinics on patients' symptoms, pulmonary function, and healthcare
utilisation over a four-month period. Methods: One hundred and twenty-nine subjects, aged …

A before and after longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate a nurse-run asthma clinic in
general practice. Sibbalds1 morbidity and attitudes questionnaire was used to monitor the
changes in association with attendance at the clinic. One hundred and five patients aged 3–
83 years attended the clinic. Over the 12 months of the study patients reported significant
reductions in attacks of wheeze, nocturnal attacks, overall trouble (P 0.005) and GP home
visits (P= 0.02). Patients also reported a significant improvement in feelings of stigma (P< …