• Review a person with stable asthma at least once a year. More frequent follow up may be needed after the initial diagnosis, when there is a change to medication, or in people with severe asthma or recurrent exacerbations.
• Review asthma control:
• Ask about symptoms, during the day; difficulty sleeping; and the impact of asthma on such activities as exercise, work, or school in the past week or month.
• Assess lung function using spirometry or Peak Expiratory Flow.
• Ask about past exacerbations and their frequency, and whether oral corticosteroids or hospital admission was needed.
• Ask about possible trigger factors such as exercise, work, and allergens.
• Ask about other conditions, that are known to co-exist with asthma and aggravate symptoms e.g. allergic rhinitis, sleep apnoea, and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.
• Look for signs of complications which may necessitate referral to a specialist.
• Review asthma medication:
• Ask about the use of reliever medication, any benefits seen with changes in medication, and compliance with treatment.
• Assess inhaler technique and check peak expiratory flow rate to compare with the previously recorded value.
• Review smoking habit. Encourage people with asthma or parents of children with asthma to stop smoking.
• Review self-management education and make any necessary changes to written action plans.

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