Early feedback from patients may hold the key to predicting whether advanced asthma treatments will be effective in the long run, according to new research supported by PenARC.
A team of researchers from the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (RDUH), the University of Plymouth, and the University of Exeter have found that improvements in asthma symptoms within the first few weeks of starting biologic therapy could help forecast how well a patient will respond to the treatment over time.
Biologic therapies are specialist treatments designed for people with severe asthma – a condition that affects up to 10% of those living with asthma and is often harder to manage. While these therapies can significantly improve quality of life, not all patients respond equally.
Using real-world data from the Severe Asthma Questionnaire (SAQ) – a tool designed to capture patients’ lived experiences – the research team were able to track how individuals responded to treatment over time. Their findings show that patients who report feeling better early in the treatment process are more likely to see lasting benefits.
Dr Drew Davies, Respiratory Medicine Registrar at the RDUH, said:
“This research demonstrates the importance of the patients own experience and how it can help predict long-term outcomes for people with severe asthma. We hope that this will encourage clinicians to incorporate tools like the Severe Asthma Questionnaire into routine care, helping us better understand who will benefit from biologic treatments and emphasising the patient’s voice in tailoring these treatments to them.”
The SAQ was developed in 2018 by the University of Plymouth and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, and it’s increasingly being recognised as a valuable resource in tailoring asthma care to the individual.
Dr Joseph Lanario, Research Fellow in Respiratory Health at the RDUH and the University of Plymouth, added:
“We are excited to see how the Severe Asthma Questionnaire is helping to personalise treatment and care for severe asthma, transforming lives through the use of real patient data. This questionnaire was developed by the University of Plymouth and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust in 2018.
The questionnaire has the potential to improve outcomes not just nationally, but internationally, by guiding treatment decisions based on patients’ own experiences.”
The study highlights the power of patient-reported outcomes in guiding personalised care and is part of PenARC’s ongoing mission to support research that improves health and social care in the South West and beyond.
You can read the full study here: Severe Asthma Questionnaire and Asthma Control Questionnaire analysis – Dove Medical Press