Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ)

ACQ includes response to 7 questions, 5 relating to symptoms, 1 rescue symptom use and 1 FEV1.

• is well validated in adults and children older than 5 years
• response usually assessed over the preceding week
• a 7-point scale (0 = no impairment, 6 = maximum impairment) is used for each question and the ACQ score is the mean value of the 7 questions - hence between 0 (totally controlled) and 6 (severely uncontrolled)
• generally a score below 1.0 is considered to have an adequately controlled asthma while a score of above 1.0 is considered to be not well controlled
• however patients with score between 0.75 and 1.25 is considered to be on the borderline of adequate control
• a change or difference in score of 0.5 or greater should prompt the clinician to change the patient’s treatment although this may differ among individual patients (2)

A shortened, five question symptom only questionnaire is just as valid and is probably best for those with normal or near normal FEV1 (1)

Further information on ACQ and other questionnaires on asthma can be found on “Measurement of Health-Related Quality of Life & Asthma Control” website (2).

Reference:

• (1) British Thoracic Society (BTS)/Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) 2011. British Guideline on the Management of Asthma. A national clinical guideline.
• (2) Measurement of Health-Related Quality of Life & Asthma Control.