Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the self-efficacy and satisfaction of asthma patients subjected to summer acupoint application treatment(SAAT).METHODS: A two-year follow-up clinical study was conducted. Patients with asthma were treated by applying a herbal paste onto the Feishu(BL 13) and Fengmen(BL 12) acupoints on the three hottest days of summer, according to the traditional Chinese calendar, from 2008 to 2010. During a two-year follow-up, these patients were asked tofill out a questionnaire evaluating asthma degree,exacerbation frequency, concomitant medications and self-satisfaction. The self-rate and doctor-report outcomes obtained in parallel were evaluated to assess the efficacy of SAAT.RESULTS: A total of 527 asthma patients were initially enrolled in this study, of which 97 elderly patients and those with more severe cases of asthma were lost to follow-up. Thus, a total of 430 patients were valid for analysis using self-rate data. Nevertheless, occasional negative returns were obtained;almost all of the outcomes were rated as "No change", "Moderate effective", or "Very effective". In addition, 80% of the patients were satisfied with this treatment. Moreover, 391(91.4%) patients were somewhat improved after SAAT in 2009, and further improvement was observed in 2010. After SAAT, the average asthma-degree score decreased from 5.3 in 2008 to 4 in 2009 and, subsequently to3.5 in 2010.CONCLUSION: With pronounced patient satisfaction, SAAT can reduce the exacerbation severity and frequency, concomitant medications and asthma degree. Prolonging the treatment course might enhance the efficacy of SAAT.

Key words: Acupoint sticking therapy, Quality of Life, Self efficacy, Asthma, Chinese medicine,traditional