Table. 1 Best practice advice consensus statements from the international expert panel.

From: Best practice advice for asthma exacerbation prevention and management in primary care: an international expert consensus

Identification and Assessment of Asthma Exacerbations

• BPA 1: Consider incorporating available validated tools into primary care settings to evaluate asthma status including symptom burden, exacerbation history, and risk.

• BPA 2: Counsel patients on the warning signs and symptoms of loss of asthma control that may precede exacerbations to facilitate initiation of timely and effective treatment to prevent exacerbations or reduce their severity.

• BPA 3: Recognize and support education and management plans addressing exacerbation risk for people with all severities of asthma.

• BPA 4: Evaluate adherence to prescribed therapy (target adherence ≥75%) and inhaler technique at all asthma related visits, asking non-judgmental questions, and provide education and support based on that evaluation.

Asthma Exacerbation Management and Prevention

• BPA 5: Recognize the cumulative adverse effects of systemic corticosteroids (SCS) use and work to avoid their overuse by preventing future exacerbations.

• BPA 6: Consider the use of AIR, MART (formerly known as SMART), or ICS-SABA quick reliever regimens for treating asthma and exacerbations to address underlying inflammation as well as provide bronchodilation.

• BPA 7: After an exacerbation, request a patient follow up visit within a short time to explore steps to prevent future exacerbations; these may include providing self-management education, inhaler technique review, adherence evaluation, smoking cessation advice, an updated asthma action plan, and updating immunizations.

Access to Asthma Care and Treatments

• BPA 8: Seek to improve timely access to asthma care and treatments to reduce delays in exacerbation prevention and management.

• BPA 9: Seek to incorporate patients’ and families’ perspectives, preferences, and goals into asthma care.

• BPA 10: Encourage and participate in multidisciplinary team-based care of patients with asthma to ensure continuity of care and improved outcomes.

  1. BPA best practice advice.
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