Difficult to Manage Asthma Position Paper

Post date: Sep 13, 2013 11:03:03 PM

What action would you take to stop 10 jumbo jets crashing every week of the year, to prevent the deaths of nearly 700 people on board each time, when regular systematic checks of each aircraft could virtually eliminate the problem?

This is the current situation for asthma. We sometimes think that asthma is largely well controlled, with effective treatments available and evidence-based guidelines supporting careful diagnosis and good patient care. But ongoing symptoms and deaths due to inadequately controlled asthma and the associated high costs to both the people affected, to their families, and to healthcare services alert us to the fact that more action is urgently needed to improve the care of people with asthma, and in particular those whose asthma is difficult to manage.

The International Primary Care Respiratory Group has created a briefing for policy makers on the guidance “Ten steps to improve the value of asthma care”. The document supported by the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations (EFA) aims at improving asthma outcomes and/or reducing costs to produce the best possible value for patients and healthcare systems.

To view the document or download a copy please click here