PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ramesh Chokhani
AU  - Abdul Razak
AU  - Win Naing
AU  - Mirna Waked
AU  - Abdelaziz Bakhatar
AU  - Urvi Khorani
AU  - Jaideep Gogtay
AU  - Vaibhav Gaur
TI  - Knowledge, attitude and practice survey on asthma amongst physicians of 5 countries from Asia and Middle-east-North-Africa
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2019.PA4184
DP  - 2019 Sep 28
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA4184
VI  - 54
IP  - suppl 63
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/54/suppl_63/PA4184.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/54/suppl_63/PA4184.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2019 Sep 28; 54
AB  - This physicians’ (PHYs) survey aimed to understand the real-life clinical management and their challenges while managing their asthma patients (pts) in Nepal, Myanmar, Malaysia, Lebanon and Morocco. Internal medicine doctors (209), general practitioners (206), chest physicians (152) and pediatricians (58) from 232 locations across 5 countries who routinely treat asthma pts were administered a questionnaire-based survey. Data related to their practice and clinical challenges were collected. Of 816 PHY, 374 PHYs treated at least 5 asthma pts daily. 38% PHYs routinely used spirometry for diagnosis; only 12% PHYs routinely recommended peak flow meter for home-monitoring. Fluticasone (58% PHYs), budesonide (46% PHYs) were most preferred ICS. Salmeterol/fluticasone (71% PHYs), formoterol/budesonide (38% PHYs) were most preferred ICS/LABA. 60% PHYs cited nearly 40% of their pts were apprehensive to use inhalers. 72% of PHYs preferred a pMDI to a DPI with only a third of them using a spacer with the pMDI. 71% PHYs believed that using the same device for controller and reliever may be beneficial to patients. Skipping medicines in absence of symptoms (64% PHYs), incorrect inhaler technique (49% PHYs) and high cost of medication (49% PHYs) were considered as major reasons for non-adherence by most PHYs. Incorrect inhaler technique (66% PHYs) and nonadherence (59% PHYs) were considered the most common causes of poor asthma control. There are opportunities to improve the use of diagnostic and monitoring tools for asthma. Nonadherence, incorrect inhaler technique and cost remain a challenge to achieve good asthma control.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2019; 54: Suppl. 63, PA4184.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).