Abstract
Aim: Pharmacological therapy is crucial in the management of asthma, however understanding patient journey and exploring their perceptions is key to improve drug development. The objective of this human factors research was to identify the unmet needs of patients’ with asthma.
Methods: Interviews were conducted in the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany with mild (N=20) and severe (N=28) asthma patients.
Results: The study gathered patient perspective on the diagnosis process, symptoms, treatments, disease management and challenges with leaving with the disease. Participants mentioned that the diagnosis process could be improved by providing more information on asthma (33%), about the different available treatments (33%) and by receiving a faster diagnosis (17%). The most reported symptoms were difficulty breathing (more than 85% of participants mentioned it), coughing (> 40%) and heavy feeling in the chest (> 32%). The most common causes for triggering symptoms were related to allergies (34% of responses), the weather (26%) and physical exertion (15%). Several participants suggested to improve the medication focusing on dose frequency and effectiveness of the drug while some participants struggled with having numerous inhalers/treatments to manage, as well as the poor aesthetic of the inhaler and the non-discreetness. Overall challenges were associated to physical limitation (36%), social limitations (24%) and management of persistent symptoms (16%).
Conclusions: Findings from this study could help pharmaceutical industries to improve the development of their products and generate new innovative solutions and concepts to enhance the patients’ quality of life.
Footnotes
Cite this article as Eur Respir J 2022; 60: Suppl. 66, 2434.
This article was presented at the 2022 ERS International Congress, in session “-”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
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