TY - JOUR
T1 - Asthma control and management in 8,000 European patients
T2 - the REcognise Asthma and LInk to Symptoms and Experience (REALISE) survey
AU - Price, David
AU - Fletcher, Monica
AU - van der Molen, Thys
N1 - We thank Dr Peter Haidl (Schmallenberg, Germany) and Professor Chantal Raherison-Semjen (Bordeaux, France) for their advice and input on the survey questions. We are also grateful to Weber Shandwick (London, UK) for assistance in developing and running the survey, Incite Marketing Planning Ltd (London, UK) for support in the development of the questionnaire and analysing the results, and Dr Mark Rolfe and Dr Andreas Leidenroth (Oxford PharmaGenesis, Oxford, UK) for medical writing support.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - BACKGROUND: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, and previous studies have reported low levels of control. Recent developments in the availability and use of online sources of information about asthma might add to patients' knowledge and help improve control.AIMS: To investigate whether asthma control has improved by assessing levels of symptoms, exacerbations and Global Initiative for Asthma-defined control in a real-life population of patients who use the Internet and social media, as well as evaluate patient perception of control and attitudes to asthma.METHODS: Online surveys were conducted among 8,000 patients with asthma (aged 18-50 years, ≥2 prescriptions in the previous 2 years, use of social media) from 11 European countries.RESULTS: Levels of asthma control were low: 45% of respondents had uncontrolled asthma. Acute exacerbations were common: 44% of respondents reported having used oral steroids for asthma in the previous 12 months, 24% had visited an emergency department and 12% had been hospitalised. More than 80% of respondents (overall, and among those with a history of exacerbations) considered their asthma to be controlled. Of those who had an exacerbation requiring oral steroids, 75% regarded their asthma as not serious.CONCLUSIONS: Asthma control in Europe remains poor; symptoms and exacerbations are common. Many patients regard their asthma as controlled and not serious despite experiencing symptoms and exacerbations. There is a need to assess patients' control, risk and inhaler technique, and to ensure that patients are prescribed, and take, appropriate treatments.
AB - BACKGROUND: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, and previous studies have reported low levels of control. Recent developments in the availability and use of online sources of information about asthma might add to patients' knowledge and help improve control.AIMS: To investigate whether asthma control has improved by assessing levels of symptoms, exacerbations and Global Initiative for Asthma-defined control in a real-life population of patients who use the Internet and social media, as well as evaluate patient perception of control and attitudes to asthma.METHODS: Online surveys were conducted among 8,000 patients with asthma (aged 18-50 years, ≥2 prescriptions in the previous 2 years, use of social media) from 11 European countries.RESULTS: Levels of asthma control were low: 45% of respondents had uncontrolled asthma. Acute exacerbations were common: 44% of respondents reported having used oral steroids for asthma in the previous 12 months, 24% had visited an emergency department and 12% had been hospitalised. More than 80% of respondents (overall, and among those with a history of exacerbations) considered their asthma to be controlled. Of those who had an exacerbation requiring oral steroids, 75% regarded their asthma as not serious.CONCLUSIONS: Asthma control in Europe remains poor; symptoms and exacerbations are common. Many patients regard their asthma as controlled and not serious despite experiencing symptoms and exacerbations. There is a need to assess patients' control, risk and inhaler technique, and to ensure that patients are prescribed, and take, appropriate treatments.
U2 - 10.1038/npjpcrm.2014.9
DO - 10.1038/npjpcrm.2014.9
M3 - Article
C2 - 24921985
VL - 24
JO - npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine
JF - npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine
M1 - 14009
ER -