Facilitators and solutions for practicing optimal guided asthma self-management: the physician perspective

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• General Practice
• Medical Education

Background:

• Asthma management requires effective long-term controller prescriptions and patient self-management plans.
• Physician perspectives are crucial for identifying barriers and facilitators to optimal asthma care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key solutions facilitating physician prescription of long-term asthma controllers.
• To identify key solutions facilitating physician provision of written asthma self-management plans.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving 42 physicians from various specialties (family, pediatrics, emergency, pulmonology, allergy).
• Individual, semistructured interviews (1 hour each) were conducted and transcribed verbatim.
• Data analysis involved independent review by two researchers, with consensus reached by the team to develop a taxonomy of facilitators and solutions.

Main Results:

• 867 facilitators and solutions were identified, categorized into 10 themes addressing physician needs for optimal care, patient adherence, and efficient services.
• Most frequent suggestions focused on optimizing asthma management and self-management plans through improved access and allied health professional education.
• Key suggestions for controller prescription involved physician behavior, patient education, personalized prescriptions, and feedback on benefits.

Conclusions:

• Physicians proposed a comprehensive taxonomy of facilitators and solutions for optimal asthma care.
• Effective knowledge translation interventions require careful selection based on physician specialty and target behaviors.
• Variations in suggestions across specialties highlight the need for tailored approaches to asthma management.