Asthma reviews are an essential opportunity to assess patients’ disease control and optimise it. You may wish to first focus on the highest risk patients identified from disease control project 1.
When inviting patients for their asthma review, consider sending them resources within the invite to empower patients to think about their disease control and consider what they want to discuss or learn at their review.
Primary Care IT have developed an asthma review template for use with this toolkit, which can be added to your clinical system to optimise your asthma reviews. It pulls important information regarding asthma control from the clinical record, has prompts to support your discussion with patients and includes links to information about lower carbon prescribing.
The process
Step 1: Update your Asthma Review invitations
Update your SMS templates and letters to include links to information on:
- Importance of review and what to bring (PAAP, inhalers, peak flow meter)
- Links to Patient Information Leaflet or patient videos on SABA over-reliance, inhaler choice and disposal to prime patients.
Resources:
- SMS/ Letter: Consultation invitation for asthma review with information sharing (scroll to bottom of page)
- Patient Information Leaflet: SABA over-reliance
- Patient Information Leaflet: Inhalers and the environment
- Video on asthma airways to encourage adherence to preventer
- ARC infographic and slide rule
Step 2: Consider which Asthma Review Template you wish to use in your clinical system
This Asthma Review Template from Primary Care IT will highlight whether the patient is at risk of poor control and support greener inhaler prescribing. If considered helpful, download the template onto the IT system (System One or EMIS). Provide brief education to staff who perform asthma reviews about how to use the template.
Resource:
Step 3: Conduct Asthma Review Consultation with patient
Use our guide to support this.
Remember to discuss non-pharmacological asthma management such as the importance of smoking cessation, impact of air pollution, benefits of exercise, green walking routes and singing for breathing etc.
Resources:
- Approach to consultations about asthma control and devices
- Links to non-pharmacological resources below
Non-pharmacological management resources
Patients need infomation on how wider determinants such as air pollution and housing, may impact on their asthma control. We should also be signposting patients to resources on non-pharmacological strategies which can help them better manage their asthma.
The following links may be used to signpost resources to patients. You may also find further information on your local authority website, through social prescribing or other health initiatives.
Singing for breathing
Singing regularly as part of a group can reduce asthma symptoms and improve general health and wellbeing. Groups are available all over the country and are suitable for people even with no experience of singing.
Links:
Air Pollution
Understanding the link between air pollution and asthma symptoms can help people to manage their asthma, both by modifying their activity to reduce air pollution locally and by knowing what action to take when air pollution is high.
Clean Air Hub have a pollution forecast, which is also available from Defra, and a knowledge hub for clinicians with resources to share with patients.
The Clean Air Route Finder can be used in London to find low air pollution routes.
Links:
- https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/air-pollution/tips
- https://www.cleanairhub.org.uk/forecasts
- https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/
- https://www.actionforcleanair.org.uk/health/knowledge-hub-health
London specific:
Living with asthma
The Asthma UK has lots of information on strategies for living with asthma, including how to get and stay active.
Link:
Indoor environment
The indoor environment can have a significant impact on asthma symptoms and Asthma UK has lots of advice on identifying and minimising triggers.
Links:
Other resources
Letter templates
Consultation invitation for asthma review with information-sharing
Dear Patient,
Our records show that you are due for an asthma review. Please call to book your asthma review appointment.
Asthma reviews are essential to ensure you’re on the right treatment, to reduce your symptoms and to lower your risk of asthma attacks. Many people don’t realise their asthma could be better controlled. Did you know that good asthma control means you will rarely or never have symptoms? Or that if you need three or more reliever (blue) inhalers a year, this could mean your asthma control needs improvement?
This Asthma + Lung webpage explains how to get the most out of your review: https://bit.ly/3yoKrJ7
For more information about asthma and good control, please read this leaflet bit.ly/3EmhyRT or watch this video https://bit.ly/3Vaqfoh. To learn more about inhaler devices and the environment, please read this leaflet https://bit.ly/3fSys0h or watch this video https://bit.ly/3T90yTn.
We look forward to seeing you soon for your asthma review. Please remember to bring these things to your appointment: your inhalers and spacer, your Personalised Asthma Action Plan and your peak flow meter.
Many thanks,
[Practice name/ lead clinician]
SMS templates
Consultation invitation for asthma review with information-sharing
SMS 1 of 3
Your asthma review is due so please book an appointment. Remember to bring: your inhalers and spacer, peak flow meter and your Personalised Asthma Action Plan.
SMS 2 of 3
For more information on how to get the most out of your asthma review: https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/manage-your-asthma/adult-review/
SMS 3 of 3
Before your asthma review you can learn more about asthma and good control from this leaflet https://bit.ly/3EmhyRTor watch this video https://bit.ly/3Vaqfoh. To learn more about inhaler devices and the environment, please read this leaflet https://bit.ly/3fSys0h or watch this video https://bit.ly/3T90yTn.
AccuRx SMS 1 of 2
Your asthma review is now due so please book an appointment. Remember to bring: your inhalers and spacer, peak flow meter and your Personalised Asthma Action Plan.
This page explains how to get the most out of your review:
https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/manage-your-asthma/adult-review/
AccuRx SMS 2 of 2
Before your asthma review, you can also learn more about asthma treatment from this leaflet https://bit.ly/3EmhyRT or watch this video https://bit.ly/3Vaqfoh. To learn more about inhaler devices and the environment, please read this leaflet https://bit.ly/3fSys0h or watch this video https://bit.ly/3T90yTn.