ADULT POPULATION
Persons greater than 12 years of age. Definition based on body mass measures for prescribing purposes.

ALL AGES MORTALITY RATE
Death rate due to a disease in a given population at a stated point in time or over a stated period.

ALLIED TREATMENT
Treatment by non-medical health professionals; for example physiotherapy, homoeopathy, naturopathy, acupuncture, etc.

ASTHMA
A form of airway inflammation that causes the airways to narrow too easily in response to a wide range of triggering factors. It is characterised by increased secretions, swelling of the airways with infiltration by inflammatory cells and enlargement of glands and muscle.

ASTHMA SYMPTOMS
Commonly reported symptoms of asthma including wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and chronic/recurrent dry cough.

COMPLIANCE
Patients taking prescribed dosage and frequency of medication according to medical advice.

DEFLATOR
Statistical factor or device designed to adjust the difference between real or constant value and value affected by inflation.

DEVICES
Delivery instruments used to facilitate the treatment of asthma eg. actuators, spacers, dry powder devices, etc.

DIAGNOSIS RELATED GROUPS (DRGs)
A patient classification system designed to group hospital patients into classes which are clinically homogenous with regard to the consumption of hospital resources.

DISEASE SEVERITY
The inherent severity of the disease independent of its management, including drug and other interventions.

EPIDEMIOLOGISTS
People/experts involved in the research discipline concerned with identifying and describing the distribution and determinants of health and disease in populations.

FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME (FEV₁)
The maximum amount of air that can be forcibly expelled in one second.

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP)
The total market value of goods and services produced in Australia within a given period after deducting the costs of goods and services used up in the process of production but before deducting allowances for the consumption of fixed capital.

INDIRECT COSTS OF ASTHMA
The costs of lost productivity to society due to asthma. Includes the costs of invalidity absenteeism, reduced effectiveness at work and work time lost from attending consultations.

LOSS OF PRODUCTIVITY
The productive output lost or foregone to society if people cannot participate in the workforce due to illness.

MARGINAL COST
The increase or decrease in the total operating cost of a business as the result of one more or one less unit of output.

MEDICAL COST OF ASTHMA
The cost of medical expenditure associated with asthma. Includes the costs of pharmaceuticals, hospitalisations medical and allied treatment consultations, transport and community support services.

MORBIDITY
Within a given population the number of sick persons or cases of disease recorded at a stated point in time or over a stated period.

NOCTURNAL AST H M A
Asthma symptoms of cough and wheeze at night that may impair sleep quality and result in wakening.

OPORTUNITY COST
The highest price or rate of return an alternative course of action would provide, represented as an implied cost of the course of action taken.

PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW (PEF)
The maximum flow rate achieved in the first fraction of a second of forced expiration.

POORLY CONTROLLED ASTHMA
Occurs in asthmatics on sub-optimal treatment regimen for a given level of disease severity. May result in increased symptoms, greater need for medical care and a lower quality of life. Poor control may occur in asthmatics receiving inadequate treatment, inappropriate medication or people non-compliant with medication.

PREVALENCE
The total number of cases of the disease existing in the population at a specific time.

PRODUCTIVITY
A measure of efficiency in production. Comparison of input in terms of numbers employed, wages paid, capital invested etc. with resultant output.

QUALITY OF LIFE
The level of well-being and satisfaction associated with events or conditions in a person's life as influenced by disease, accidents or treatments.

WELL CONTROLLED ASTHM
Asthmatics receiving optimal treatment for a given level of disease severity. Results in fewer symptoms and disease exacerbations as well as a better quality of life.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ABS
Australian Bureau of Statistics

AHMAC
Australian Health Ministry Advisory Council

AIH
Australian Institute of Health

AMI
Australian Medical Index

AWE
Average Weekly Earnings

DHHCS
Department of Health, Housing and Community Services

DRGs
Diagnosis Related Groups

DSS
Department of Social Security

GDP
Gross Domestic Product

IMS
International Medical Statistics

NHS
National Health Survey

Content Updated 1992