Asthma Care Research Articles

Asthma in Pregnancy: A Critical Review of Impact, Management, and Outcomes.

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory condition that can significantly impact the health of pregnant women and their developing fetuses. This comprehensive review provides insights into the prevalence of asthma in pregnant women, the physiological changes during pregnancy, and the multifaceted impact of asthma on maternal and fetal health. It emphasizes the importance of proper asthma diagnosis, medication management, and the development of personalized asthma action plans during pregnancy. Lifestyle modifications, trigger avoidance, and stress reduction are essential to effective management. Healthcare providers are pivotal in educating, monitoring, and individualized care to ensure optimal asthma control. The review underscores the critical significance of managing asthma during pregnancy, as it improves maternal and fetal outcomes and potentially influences long-term health for both mother and child. Future directions in this field involve ongoing research, personalized treatment, early intervention, and precision medicine to enhance the understanding and care of asthma during pregnancy.

The association of exhaled nitric oxide with air pollutants in young infants of asthmatic mothers

BackgroundExhaled nitric oxide is a marker of airway inflammation. Air pollution induces airway inflammation and oxidative stress. Little is known about the impact of air pollution on exhaled nitric oxide in young infants.MethodsThe Breathing for Life Trial recruited pregnant women with asthma into a randomised controlled trial comparing usual clinical care versus inflammometry-guided asthma management in pregnancy. Four hundred fifty-seven infants from the Breathing for Life Trial birth cohort were assessed at six weeks of age. Exhaled nitric oxide was measured in unsedated, sleeping infants. Its association with local mean 24-h and mean seven-day concentrations of ozone, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM10) and less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) in diameter was investigated. The air pollutant data were sourced from local monitoring sites of the New South Wales Air Quality Monitoring Network. The association was assessed using a ‘least absolute shrinkage and selection operator’ (LASSO) approach, multivariable regression and Spearman’s rank correlation.ResultsA seasonal variation was evident with higher median exhaled nitric oxide levels (13.6 ppb) in warmer months and lower median exhaled nitric oxide levels (11.0 ppb) in cooler months, P = 0.008. LASSO identified positive associations for exhaled nitric oxide with 24-h mean ammonia, seven-day mean ammonia, seven-day mean PM10, seven-day mean PM2.5, and seven-day mean ozone; and negative associations for eNO with seven-day mean carbon monoxide, 24-h mean nitric oxide and 24-h mean sulfur dioxide, with an R-square of 0.25 for the penalized coefficients. These coefficients selected by LASSO (and confounders) were entered in multivariable regression. The achieved R-square was 0.27.ConclusionIn this cohort of young infants of asthmatic mothers, exhaled nitric oxide showed seasonal variation and an association with local air pollution concentrations.

Using Cost Conversations to Address Financial Toxicity in Pediatric Asthma Care: Findings From a Survey of Caregivers

Asthma care teams are well-positioned to help caregivers address financial toxicity in pediatric asthma care, although discussing cost can be challenging. We sought to characterize cost conversations in pediatric asthma specialty care. We surveyed 45 caregivers of children aged 4-17 with asthma. Eligible caregivers reported costs concerns and had accompanied their child to a multisite asthma specialty practice in North Carolina. About one-third of caregivers reported a cost conversation (36%). Cost conversations were less common among caregivers whose child had public versus private health insurance (16% vs. 56%), who attended a telehealth versus in-person visit (6% vs. 52%), or who did not versus did want a conversation (19% vs. 77%, all p < .05). Common cost conversation topics were medications and equipment like spacers. Our findings suggest cost conversations may be relatively uncommon in pediatric asthma care, particularly for publicly insured patients and telehealth visits.

Opportunities to improve asthma and COPD prevention and care: insights from the patient journey obtained through focus groups

BackgroundThe healthcare experiences of patients hold valuable insights for improving the quality of services related to their well-being. We therefore invited and explored the perspectives of patients living with asthma...

Exploring the patient experience of remote hypertension management in Scotland during COVID-19: a qualitative study

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to understand how patients experienced hypertension management, with or without blood pressure (BP) telemonitoring, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design, methods, participants and settingThis qualitative study...

Effect of the Children and Young People's Health Partnership model of paediatric integrated care on health service use and child health outcomes: a pragmatic two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial.

Paediatric health systems across high-income countries are facing avoidable adverse outcomes and increasing demands and costs. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of an enhanced usual care model with that of an integrated health-care model that offers local health clinics for general paediatric problems and early intervention and care for children and young people with tracer conditions. In this pragmatic two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial, we compared the Children and Young People's Health Partnership (CYPHP) model of care versus enhanced usual care (EUC) among children registered at general practices in south London, UK. The CYPHP trial intervention was delivered between April 1, 2018, and June 30, 2021, and children younger than 16 years during the intervention period and registered at study practices on June 30, 2021, were included in the analysis. A restricted randomisation (1:1) following a computer-generated sequence was done by a masked independent statistician at the level of general practice cluster, stratified by borough (Lambeth or Southwark). Cluster allocation and data collection were masked, with unmasking of trial statisticians before analysis. The CYPHP model comprised all elements of EUC (electronic decision support, a primary care hotline, health checks, self-management support and health promotion, and resilience building and mental health first aid) plus local child health clinics delivered by paediatricians and general practitioners, and a nurse-led early intervention service for children with tracer conditions (asthma, eczema, and constipation). Primary outcomes were non-elective admissions (NELA; admissions coded as an emergency) among the whole trial population up to June 30, 2021, and paediatric quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory [PedsQL]) among participants with tracer conditions at 6 months after recruitment. Secondary outcomes were primary and secondary care use, child mental health, parental wellbeing, standardised symptom scores for asthma, eczema, and constipation, health-care quality, and child absences from school and parent absences from work. The trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03461848, and is complete. The trial was conducted between April 1, 2018, and Dec 31, 2021. In total, 23 general practice clusters, consisting of 70 practices with 97 970 registered children, were randomised to CYPHP (n=11) or EUC (n=12). We found no effect, at the population level, of CYPHP versus EUC on non-elective admissions during the intervention period (adjusted mean incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1·00 [95% CI 0·91 to 1·10], p=0·99). Among children with tracer conditions, we found no difference in paediatric quality of life (PedsQL score) at 6 months (adjusted mean difference -0·033 [95% CI -0·122 to 0·055], p=0·46). As a secondary outcome, among children with tracer conditions and requiring care, NELA rates at 12 months did not differ between the CYPHP and EUC groups (66·1 per 1000 person-years vs 75·3 per 1000 person-years; adjusted mean IRR 0·87 [0·61-1·22], p=0·42). In children requiring care, a statistically significant improvement was observed in eczema symptoms at 6 months from baseline in the CYPHP group versus the EUC group (adjusted mean difference -1·370 [-2·630 to -0·122], p=0·032). Quality of asthma care significantly improved among children in the CYPHP group compared with children in the EUC group. No significant improvement was seen for all other secondary outcomes. Although the CYPHP trial found a null effect for the primary outcomes, we found clinically important improvements in some secondary outcomes including care quality. Previous research has shown that large-scale system change requires time to observe a potential positive effect. Guy's and St Thomas Charity, the Lambeth and Southwark Clinical Commissioning Groups, and Evelina London Children's Hospital.

Understanding Core Community Needs for School-Based Asthma Programming: A Qualitative Assessment in Colorado Communities.

Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions affecting approximately 8.5% of children in Colorado. Our school-based asthma program (SBAP) has effectively improved asthma control and reduced asthma disparities among children but has been largely limited to the Denver area. We interviewed community stakeholders in 5 regions of Colorado to understand community needs for broader dissemination of SBAPs. In-depth, semistructured key informant interviews were conducted with school nurses, parents, pediatric healthcare providers, public health professionals, and community resource organization representatives. Inductive and deductive analyses were informed by the practical, robust, implementation, and sustainability model, an implementation science framework. Participants (n=52) identified 6 types of needs for successful future implementation of our SBAP: (1) buy-in from stakeholders; (2) asthma prioritization; (3) improved relationships, communication, and coordination among school nurses, healthcare providers, and community organizations that address social determinants of health (SDOH) and children/families; (4) resources to address healthcare and SDOH needs and awareness of existing resources; (5) asthma education for children/families, school staff, and community members; and (6) improved coordination for School Asthma Care Plan completion. These needs mapped to a 3-tiered, progressive structure of foundational, relational, and functional needs for implementation success. These 6 types of needs illuminate factors that will allow this SBAP to work well and program delivery approaches and implementation strategies that may need modification to be successful. Next steps should include tailoring implementation strategies to variations in local context to support fit, effectiveness, and sustainment.

How does community pharmacy support patients living with asthma?

Abstract Introduction Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that is currently an increasing issue worldwide. Particularly in the United Kingdom, 185 people are admitted to hospital because of an attack and 3 people die daily despite the National Healthcare Service (NHS) spending £1 billion on asthma care.1 Community pharmacies are taking on a more clinical role in the NHS but the extent of their role in primary care, specifically regarding helping patients living with asthma is unknown. Aim This study aimed to identify how community pharmacists reduced the general practitioners (GPs) workload by helping patients living with asthma. Methods The study used a 30-question survey to collect data from community pharmacists in North-East London boroughs (n=206 pharmacies). The survey consisted of both closed and open-ended questions, exploring the asthma interventions pharmacists conducted and the impact this had on patients, as well as the medication or devices that patients were struggling with the most and how confident pharmacists felt about all aspects of asthma. The paper-based survey was handed to each responsible pharmacist for completion. Data was input into SPSS for analysis. The study received ethical approval from Kingston University. Results Participants found the New Medicines Service to be the most helpful service (4.4/5) for patients living with asthma, followed by influenza vaccine (4/5), Community Pharmacy Consultation Service (CPCS) (3.8/5) and inhaler technique checks (3.8/5). The percentage of referrals to the GP that resulted from these services were 0-20% of patients in an average week. The most frequently referred medication was salbutamol (56.5%) due to its overuse or exacerbation of symptoms with Clenil® (15.2%) the second most referred medicine due to side-effects such as a sore throat. The most frequent inhaler device dispensed was the metered dose inhalers (94%), however the most troublesome inhalers were dry powder inhalers (50.8%) due to patient’s poor inhalation capacity, dexterity, inability to load the capsules and poor knowledge. Overall, pharmacists were confident in their ability to help asthma patients, however, younger pharmacists were less likely to check inhaler technique at every dispensing (p=0.016), more likely to check it only upon patient request (p=0.042) and were more likely to refer patients to the GP after consultations. Contrastingly, nearly all participants (93.2%) found their training for asthma and its services to be sufficient, with 62.5% using centre for pharmacy postgraduate education as their training provider. Discussion/Conclusion The results suggest that most of the time pharmacists were well trained, addressed patients concerns adequately and were able to support with adherence and usage of inhalers.2 It was clear that pharmacists do play an active role in the lives of asthma patients through the services they conduct. Their training allows pharmacists to be confident when carrying out these services so that majority of patient’s concerns are addressed within the pharmacy and only a few require GP referral. It may be beneficial to carry out technique checks more frequently, conduct asthma reviews within the pharmacy and provide additional resources to newly qualified pharmacists to aid their confidence in helping asthma patients.

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO): the future of asthma care?

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO): the future of asthma care?

Digital Technology Characteristics and Literacy Among Families With Children With Asthma: Cross-Sectional Study.

The use of digital technology in pediatric asthma management has emerged as a potential tool for improving asthma management. However, the use of digital tools has the potential to contribute to the inequitable delivery of asthma care because of existing social factors associated with asthma disparities. Our study focused on parents' chosen language and sociodemographic factors that might shape the use of digital technology in asthma self-management. This study aims to estimate and compare patient, family, and technology-related characteristics by parents' chosen language (English or Spanish) and compare a digital literacy measure by sociodemographic factors. Survey data were collected from July to December 2021 from parents of children with asthma who were seen by a Chicago pediatric health system pulmonary provider. Questions assessed patient and family characteristics, digital technology use, and digital literacy, measured using the validated eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression were used for comparisons, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for comparing median eHEALS scores by social characteristics. Of the 197 parents surveyed, 24.4% (n=49) of parents identified as a race categorized as other, 37.1% (n=67) as White, and 38.6% (n=75) as Black; 47.2% (n=93) identified as Hispanic/Latino/Latina. Additionally, 79.7% (n=157) of parents preferred English, and 20.3% (n=40) preferred Spanish. English-speaking parents were more likely to report having a data plan for their smartphone (117/157, 74.5%) or high-speed internet (138/157, 87.9%) compared to Spanish-speaking parents (smartphone: 23/40, 58%; P=.03; internet: 27/40, 68%; P=.002). Compared with Spanish-speaking parents, English-speaking parents were less likely to report having a lot or some concern about paying for internet (28/40, 70% vs 83/157, 52.9%; P=.046) or about data privacy (35/40, 88% vs 105/157, 67.5%; P=.01). Digital literacy scores differed significantly by race, income, education level, and language. In a multivariable model, language was not a significant factor for having high-speed internet service (P=.12) or concern about paying for internet at home (P=.60), but it was a significant factor for concerns about data privacy (P=.04). The significant differences in technology-related characteristics suggest that digital connectivity, affordability, and data privacy may also be important factors in considering digital technology use in asthma care.

A Primary Care-Based Quality Improvement Project to Reduce Asthma Emergency Department Visits.

Asthma exacerbation is a common and often preventable cause of Emergency Department (ED) utilization. Children eligible for Medicaid are at increased risk of poor asthma control and subsequent ED visits. In 2010, we implemented a multicomponent longitudinal quality improvement project to improve pediatric asthma care for our primary care population, which was 90% Medicaid-eligible. Our goal was to reduce asthma-related ED visits by patients ages 2 to 18 years by 3% annually. The setting was a multisite large urban high-risk primary care network affiliated with a children's hospital. We implemented 5 sequential interventions within our network of pediatric primary care centers to increase: use of asthma action plans by clinicians, primary care-based Asthma Specialty Clinic visits (extended asthma visits in the main primary care site), use of a standard asthma note at all visits, documentation of the Asthma Control Test, and step-up therapy for children with poorly controlled asthma. At baseline in 2010, there were 21.7 asthma-related ED visits per 1000 patients per year. By 2019, asthma-related ED visits decreased to 14.5 per 1000 patients per year, a 33% decrease, with 2 center line shifts over time. We achieved and sustained our goal metrics for 4 of 5 key interventions. We reduced ED utilization for asthma in a large, high-risk pediatric population. The interventions implemented and used over time in this project demonstrate that sustainable outcomes can be achieved in a large network of primary care clinics.

Validation of adult asthma case definitions for primary care sentinel surveillance.

Most asthma diagnoses and patient care take place in primary care settings. Electronic medical records (EMRs) offer an opportunity to utilize technology to improve asthma diagnosis and care. The purpose of this study was to create and validate separate case definitions for suspected and confirmed asthma in primary care EMRs, to enable surveillance, benchmarking, and quality improvement in primary care settings. The objective of this study was to develop a case definition for suspected and confirmed asthma for use in a primary care sentinel surveillance system. A single chart abstractor conducted a manual audit of 776 randomly selected patient charts from an academic primary care practice EMR in Kingston, Ontario. Following the single chart abstractor classification, a consensus on chart classification as "not asthma", "suspected asthma", or "confirmed asthma" was achieved between the abstractor, a family physician, and a respirologist using Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) criteria. Case definition algorithms based on billing codes, clinical data elements and medications were applied to the site's Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN) data for the same charts and compared to abstractor classifications to determine each algorithm's measurement properties. The prevalence of suspected and confirmed asthma were 7.3% (n = 54) and 2.4% (n = 18), respectively. None of the proposed case definitions could differentiate between suspected and confirmed asthma. One algorithm consisting of billing, clinical, and medication elements had the highest Youden's Index for either suspected or confirmed asthma. The algorithm had a sensitivity of 81%, a specificity of 96%, positive predictive value of 71%, negative predictive value of 98%, and a Youden's Index of 0.77 for combined suspected or confirmed asthma cases. An EMR case definition for suspected or confirmed adult asthma has been validated for use in CPCSSN. Implementation of this case definition will enable the development of a surveillance electronic tool (eTool) for adult asthma that can foster quality improvement.

IMP2ART: development of a multi-level programme theory integrating the COM-B model and the iPARIHS framework, to enhance implementation of supported self-management of asthma in primary care

BackgroundSupported asthma self-management, incorporating an asthma action plan and annual clinical review, has been recommended by UK/global guidelines for over three decades. However, implementation remains poor, as only around a third of individuals receive basic asthma care, according to the UKs leading respiratory charity Asthma and Lung UK. A systematic review of implementation studies recommended that a whole systems approach targeting patients, healthcare professional education, and organisations is needed to improve implementation of supported asthma self-management in primary care. The IMPlementing IMProved Asthma self-management as RouTine (IMP2ART) is a national Hybrid-II implementation cluster randomised controlled trial that aims to evaluate such an approach. This paper describes the development of the implementation strategy for IMP2ART with particular focus on the integration of multiple level theories.MethodsThe Medical Research Council design and evaluation of complex interventions framework and the Person-Based Approach to intervention development were used as guidance for stages of strategy development. Specifically, we (i) set up a multidisciplinary team (including practicing and academic clinicians, health psychologists, public health and patient colleagues), (ii) reviewed and integrated evidence and theory, (iii) developed guiding principles, (iv) developed prototype materials, and (v) conducted a pre-pilot study before final refinement.ResultsThe implementation strategy included resources for patients, team-based and individual healthcare professional education, practice audit and feedback, and an asthma review template, as well as a facilitator role accessible to primary care practices for 12 months. The synthesis of the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (iPARIHS) and Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behaviour (COM-B) frameworks led to an evolved framework bringing together important implementation and behaviour change elements which will be used as a basis for the study process evaluation.ConclusionsA description of rigorous implementation strategy development for the IMP2ART study is provided along with newly theorised integration of implementation and behaviour change science which may be of benefit to others targeting implementation in primary care.Trial registrationISRCTN15448074. Registered on 2nd December 2019.

"You Have to Rob Peter to Pay Paul So Your Kid Can Breathe": Using Qualitative Methods to Characterize Trade-Offs and Economic Impact of Asthma Care Costs.

Economic analyses often focus narrowly on individual patients' health care use, while overlooking the growing economic burden of out-of-pocket costs for health care on other family medical and household needs. The aim of this study was to explore intrafamilial trade-offs families make when paying for asthma care. In 2018, we conducted telephone interviews with 59 commercially insured adults who had asthma and/or had a child with asthma. We analyzed data qualitatively via thematic content analysis. Our purposive sample included participants with high-deductible and no/low-deductible health plans. We recruited participants through a national asthma advocacy organization and a large nonprofit regional health plan. Our semistructured interview guide explored domains related to asthma adherence and cost burden, cost management strategies, and trade-offs. Participants reported that they tried to prioritize paying for asthma care, even at the expense of their family's overall financial well-being. When facing conflicting demands, participants described making trade-offs between asthma care and other health and nonmedical needs based on several criteria: (1) short-term needs versus longer term financial health; (2) needs of children over adults; (3) acuity of the condition; (4) effectiveness of treatment; and (5) availability of lower cost alternatives. Our findings suggest that cost-sharing for asthma care often has negative financial consequences for families that traditional, individually focused economic analyses are unlikely to capture. This work highlights the need for patient-centered research to evaluate the impact of health care costs at the family level, holistically measuring short-term and long-term family financial outcomes that extend beyond health care use alone.

Asthma care during pregnancy in South Asia

Bronchial asthma is among the commonest chronic inflammatory respiratory diseases affecting women of reproductive age group. Adequate attention has not been given to the diagnosis and the management of asthma in countries of South Asia. Management of asthma in pregnant women is more or less same as that of in non-pregnant women and stepwise approach is recommended. To confirm the diagnosis of asthma during pregnancy, spirometry can be used. Patients suffering from very severe asthma or difficult-to control asthma are more prone to develop exacerbations during pregnancy needs hospitalization for care. Well-controlled asthma during pregnancy prevents complications of pregnancy and results in better pregnancy outcomes. It better to follow the guidelines for management of asthma during pregnancy. The pregnant women must be educated regarding the care of asthma during pregnancy, delivery, in postpartum period and thereafter.

Decreasing ICU and Hospital Length of Stay through a Standardized Respiratory Therapist-driven Electronic Clinical Care Pathway for Status Asthmaticus.

Status asthmaticus (SA) is a cause of many pediatric hospitalizations. This study sought to evaluate how a standardized asthma care pathway (ACP) in the electronic medical record impacted the length of stay (LOS). An interdisciplinary team internally validated a standardized respiratory score for patients admitted with SA to a 25-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at a tertiary children's hospital. The respiratory score determined weaning schedules for albuterol and steroid therapies. In addition, pharmacy and information technology staff developed an electronic ACP within our electronic medical record system using best practice alerts. These best practice alerts informed staff to initiate the pathway, wean/escalate treatment, transition to oral steroids, transfer level of care, and complete discharge education. The PICU, stepdown ICU (SD ICU), and acute care units implemented the clinical pathway. Pre- and postintervention metrics were assessed using process control charts and compared using Welch's t tests with a significance level of 0.05. Nine hundred two consecutive patients were analyzed (598 preintervention, 304 postintervention). Order set utilization significantly increased from 68% to 97% (P < 0.001), PICU LOS decreased from 38.4 to 31.1 hours (P = 0.013), and stepdown ICU LOS decreased from 25.7 to 20.9 hours (P = 0.01). Hospital LOS decreased from 59.5 to 50.7 hours (P = 0.003), with cost savings of $1,215,088 for the patient cohort. Implementing a standardized respiratory therapist-driven ACP for children with SA led to significantly increased order set utilization and decreased ICU and hospital LOS. Leveraging information technology and standardized pathways may improve care quality, outcomes, and costs for other common diagnoses.

Implementing paediatric patient-reported outcome measures in outpatient asthma clinics: a feasibility assessment study

ObjectiveImplementation of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) is limited in paediatric routine clinical care. The KidsPRO programme has been codesigned to facilitate the implementation of PROMs in paediatric healthcare settings. Therefore,...

Real-world data to measure and improve quality of asthma care

In this issue of the Annals, the paper “Association of quality-of-care indicators with asthma outcomes: An observational study for asthma care in Singapore” by Lam et al.1 illustrates the use of real-world data to generate real-world evidence in the area of asthma care in Singapore.

Association of quality-of-care indicators with asthma outcomes: A retrospective observational study for asthma care in Singapore.

Asthma guidelines have advocated for the use of quality-of-care indicators (QCIs) in asthma management. To improve asthma care, it is important to identify effective QCIs that are actionable. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the presence of 3 QCIs: asthma education, Asthma Control Test (ACT) and spirometry testing on the time to severe exacerbation (TTSE). Data collected from the SingHealth COPD and Asthma Data Mart (SCDM), including asthma patients managed in 9 SingHealth polyclinics and Singapore General Hospital from January 2015 to December 2020, were analysed. Patients receiving Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Steps 3-5 treatment, with at least 1 QCI recorded, and at least 1 severe exacerbation within 1 year before the first QCI record, were included. Data were analysed using multivariate Cox regression and quasi-Poisson regression models. A total of 3849 patients in the registry fulfilled the criteria. Patients with records of asthma education or ACT assessment have a lower adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for TTSE (adjusted HR=0.88, P=0.023; adjusted HR=0.83, P<0.001). Adjusted HR associated with spirometry is higher (adjusted HR=1.22, P=0.026). No QCI was significantly associated with emergency department (ED)/inpatient visits. Only asthma education and ACT showed a decrease in the number of exacerbations for multivariate analysis (asthma education estimate: -0.181, P<0.001; ACT estimate: -0.169, P<0.001). No QCI was significant for the number of exacerbations associated with ED/inpatient visits. Our study suggests that the perfor-mance of asthma education and ACT was associated with increased TTSE and decreased number of exacerbations, underscoring the importance of ensuring quality care in clinical practice.

Association of quality-of-care indicators with asthma outcomes: An observational study for asthma care in Singapore

Introduction: Asthma guidelines have advocated for the use of quality-of-care indicators (QCIs) in asthma management. To improve asthma care, it is important to identify effective QCIs that are actionable. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the presence of 3 QCIs: asthma education, Asthma Control Test (ACT) and spirometry testing on the time to severe exacerbation (TTSE). Method: Data collected from the SingHealth COPD and Asthma Data Mart (SCDM), including asthma patients managed in 9 SingHealth polyclinics and Singapore General Hospital from January 2015 to December 2020, were analysed. Patients receiving Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) Steps 3–5 treatment, with at least 1 QCI recorded, and at least 1 severe exacerbation within 1 year before the first QCI record, were included. Data were analysed using multivariate Cox regression and quasi-Poisson regression models. Results: A total of 3849 patients in the registry fulfilled the criteria. Patients with records of asthma education or ACT assessment have a lower adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for TTSE (adjusted HR=0.88, P=0.023; adjusted HR=0.83, P&lt;0.001). Adjusted HR associated with spirometry is higher (adjusted HR=1.22, P=0.026). No QCI was significantly associated with emergency department (ED)/inpatient visits. Only asthma education and ACT showed a decrease in the number of exacerbations for multivariate analysis (asthma education estimate: -0.181, P&lt;0.001; ACT estimate: -0.169, P&lt;0.001). No QCI was significant for the number of exacerbations associated with ED/inpatient visits. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the performance of asthma education and ACT was associated with increased TTSE and decreased number of exacerbations, underscoring the importance of ensuring quality care in clinical practice.