Improving our patients’ understanding of their asthma

Introduction: The Portsmouth Asthma Service serves a population of over 675,000 people. We regularly identify patients who do not understand their asthma; as a result they lack confidence to seek advice or ask questions about their condition, resulting in a reliance on healthcare providers to manage symptoms and subsequent poor asthma control. Poorly controlled disease can lead to frequent exacerbations, impairing the patient’s quality of life and increasing their risk of premature death. Method: We undertook an appreciative exercise to identify the main gaps in our patient’s understanding of their asthma. We held focus groups with clinic patients to explore their understanding of asthma and to identify potential educational interventions to improve their confidence to manage their symptoms. Results: The majority of patients were unable to define asthma as a condition and responses included “terrifying and life-threatening” and “frustrating and depressing”. Patients felt that there was a lack of educational resources available in the clinic, they did not know where to seek advice and suggested that written information to share with family would be beneficial. They identified that a poor understanding of their condition prevented them from being able to make decisions about their asthma management. In collaboration with patients, we designed asthma information leaflets and a poster to display in the waiting room. Conclusion: Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. As a result of their improved understanding, patients felt empowered to ask questions about their diagnosis and management and felt confident to self-manage symptoms. We will ensure that asthma education remains a prominent and sustainable aspect of the care we provide our patients.