Table 3

Action plan variations: summary of results

Action plan variationResult
WAP =  written action plan; PEF = peak expiratory flow; ICS = inhaled corticosteroid; OCS = oral corticosteroid.
Action points
Symptoms v PEF triggeredEquivalent
Standard written instructionConsistently beneficial
Traffic light configurationNot clearly better than standard instruction
2–3 action pointsConsistently beneficial
4 action pointsNot clearly better than <4 points
PEF based on personal best PEFConsistently beneficial
PEF based on % predicted PEFNot consistently better than usual care
Treatment instruction
Individualised WAP using ICS and OCSConsistently beneficial
Individualised WAP using OCS onlyInsufficient data to evaluate
Individualised WAP using ICS onlyInsufficient data to evaluate