Recruitment
Thirty one out of sixty-six health care professionals, working in the
field of asthma, including pulmonologists, allergists, general practitioners
and physiotherapists, in the Italian part of Switzerland accepted
the invitation to participate in the recruitment of patients. Generally,
non- participation was due to the lack of asthma patients. The recruitment
of the patients was done during the medical consultation or while
waiting for the appointment by the medical assistants. Asthma patients
were offered to fill out the questionnaire anonymously and at their convenience,
either in the waiting room or at home, to encourage participation.
The majority of participants chose the second option, for which
a stamped return envelope was provided as well. Besides the instructions
on how to fill out the questionnaire, patients received a leaflet
containing an informed consent form, the approval of the ethics committee,
general information about the project, and the funding source.