A digital tool, called ReferID has been developed to facilitate the review of asthma patients. It aims to assist in the identification of patients with uncontrolled and/or severe asthma and to ensure a timely referral to secondary care where appropriate. To validate the tool, patients will be randomised to have a review with a healthcare professional using tool to facilitate the review or to continue receiving usual care. Outcome measures including exacerbation frequency and level of asthma control will be assessed at 12 months.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
202
The ReferID tool is a digital tool which can be used to facilitate a review of asthma in primary care
Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
London, United Kingdom
Rate of exacerbation frequency
Measured by the number of courses of oral corticosteroids measured at 12 months before and 12 months after initial consultation. Exacerbations are defined as the need for oral corticosteroids prescribed by a healthcare professional for a minimum of 3 consecutive days in the context of worsening asthma symptoms.
Time frame: 24 months
Asthma control measured by the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) - 6.
Asthma control questionnaire completed on day 1 and at 12 months after initial consultation. Total score ranges from 0-6, with 0 = no impairment due to asthma, 6 = maximum impairment due to asthma.
Time frame: 12 months
Salbutamol use (measured by the number of inhalers issued)
Change in primary care salbutamol prescription refill frequency 12 months before and 12 months after initial consultation.
Time frame: 24 months
Emergency care utilisation
Frequency of emergency department and/or hospital admission due to acute asthma 12 months before and 12 months after initial consultation.
Time frame: 24 months
Quality of Life Score measured by the mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (mAQLQ)
Change in quality of life score at day 1 and at 12 months (mAQLQ). Score for each question ranges from 0-7, with 0 = totally limited, 7 = not limited at all. The score is calculated as an average for each domain, with a clinically minimum difference of 0.5.
Time frame: 12 months
Adherence to inhaled corticosteroids
Adherence to inhaled corticosteroids 12 months before and 12 months after initial consultation (measured as a percentage of the number of doses of inhaled corticosteroids issued/the expected number of doses in 12months).
Time frame: 24 months
Inhaler technique assessed.
Proportion of subjects invited to have a review and found to have suboptimal inhaler technique.
Time frame: 12 months
Number of patients referred to secondary care who are taking part in the study.
Proportion of subjects referred to secondary care for further assessment of suspected severe asthma or work-related asthma
Time frame: 12 months
Number of patients initiated on biologic therapy
Proportion of subjects referred to secondary care with confirmed severe asthma initiated on biologic therapies
Time frame: 12 months
Number of patients who are found to have an incorrect diagnosis.
Proportion of subjects in whom the diagnosis of asthma is found to be incorrect
Time frame: 12 months
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