THE aftermath of COVID-19 has left many vulnerable, with 56% of survey respondents in a new poll reporting that the pandemic made asthma management more difficult.
In the last 15 years, the prevalence of asthma increased by approximately 3.6%. Besides that, climate change is adding to the pressure on healthcare systems as they strive to recover on far smaller funds.
Asthma that is poorly controlled costs far more than asthma that is adequately treated. Adults who have frequent asthma exacerbations require more hospital care, resulting in more missed workdays and productivity losses (an average of 13 days a year).
Compare that to those with controlled asthma, for whom these rates are similar to that of healthy people.
International affairs outfit Economist Impact (powered by The Economist Group) recently conducted a survey of asthma patients from 13 different countries to determine how they assessed their present treatment and what hope they had for future care.
Key findings from the patient survey show that:
- More than 20% of respondents had been admitted twice to hospital for an asthma-related reason
- Less than 50% of respondents were satisfied with their current asthma treatment plan or felt that their condition was well managed
- Around 30% of patients claimed they did not adhere to their prescribed treatment due to financial constraints
- 74% wished there was better asthma patient education in their community
- More than a third of respondents expressed an interest in environmentally-friendly treatment options such as green inhalers
The survey findings, included in the Every breath you take: Taking the patient voice FURTHER in their asthma journey report, highlights a persistent problem in getting consistent, high-quality care and solutions for respiratory issues, which is one of the most prevalent and economically damaging non-communicable diseases in the world.
“There is no gold standard for asthma diagnosis, and treatment options and approaches can vary,” Economist Impact said in a recent statement launching the report.
“This survey highlights some of the needs and gaps along a patient’s asthma journey that still exist, and warrant continued efforts to improve asthma care.”
Alongside the survey, the FUture of RespiraTory HEalth Readiness (FURTHER) initiative brought together experts from across the scientific, medical and patient communities to deliberate and discuss the current state of asthma care and establish four actionable recommendations to benefit patients globally:
Educate patients so they can help themselves
It is estimated that 70-90% of people using asthma inhalers make mistakes with their use. The panel reported that a lack of patient education is an influential factor in the mismanagement of asthma globally.
It is crucial to ensure better education for asthma patients so that they have a better understanding of their disease, its triggers and its treatment. Together with healthcare practitioners (HCPs), patients can then truly participate in their care and find a plan that will work best for them.
Patient empowerment ensures that patient voices are valued and treatment plans can be adhered to; it is not about patients having decision-making autonomy on when to take their medication or react to symptoms but equipping them with the resources and tools to better understand and manage their condition.
Give clear, simple guidelines for HCPs globally
The expert panel agreed that adherence to both national and global guidelines in practice was alarmingly poor.
For example, one study revealed that only 40% of physicians in Hong Kong followed guidelines for prescribing and assessing asthma control. This was, in part, due to current guidelines not being accessible, financially viable, concise or practical enough for most physicians.
Better education for physicians around asthma is required to enable asthma to be diagnosed as early as possible, as well as ensure accurate prescription and treatment recommendations for patients living with asthma.
Training in concepts around motivational communication can enable physicians to better understand patient needs and reasons for poor adherence, and tailor information and advice accordingly.
Have diverse clinical and patient care guidelines
The direction and focus of guidelines are often dictated by a core group of experts and specialists and rely heavily on data from randomised clinical trials. As a result, guidelines are often not patient-friendly, or well perceived or adopted by the wider asthma community.
The process of guideline development and dissemination should ideally involve regular communication and interaction between specialists, general practitioners (GPs) and patients to assess their values and needs.
Renew focus on holistic, personalised asthma care
Given the complexity of asthma and the further complications that comorbidities could have on its management, it is essential that treatment decisions adopt a holistic, multidisciplinary, patient-centric approach to care.
Consistent, preventive and proactive treatment is a cornerstone of asthma management and changing patient behaviour to optimise control of risk factors is key.
The use of personalised asthma action plans (PAAPs) can ensure that better asthma control and quality of life are achievable through consideration of the individual complexities and context that may impact the management of asthma on a case-by-case basis. – Sept 15, 2022
