Expert consensus on the Management of Mild and Moderate Asthma

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine
• Clinical Practice Guidelines
• Asthma Management

Background:

• Mild and moderate asthma frequently suffer from poor control due to suboptimal treatment and low patient adherence.
• A lack of formal consensus on best practices hinders effective management of these common asthma types.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish formal consensus on managing mild-to-moderate asthma.
• To validate the clinical appropriateness and feasibility of proposed management recommendations.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi process with respiratory experts was used to create consensus statements.
• Key domains included asthma control definition, assessment tools, phenotyping, personalized treatment, and patient empowerment.
• The RAND/UCLA method validated the appropriateness and clinical feasibility of the statements.

Main Results:

• Consensus was achieved on defining asthma control by the absence of symptoms, exacerbations, activity limitations, and oral corticosteroid use, alongside optimized lung function.
• Proactive management, especially for high-risk patients, should incorporate assessment of control, future risk, and phenotype using validated tools.
• Personalized treatment strategies and patient education are crucial for effective asthma control.

Conclusions:

• This study delivers expert-driven, validated consensus for mild-to-moderate asthma management.
• The recommendations support a proactive, patient-centric approach to bridge guideline-practice gaps.
• Findings offer practical strategies to enhance asthma care and patient outcomes.