Working for Better Asthma Control: How Can We Improve the Dialogue Between Patients and Healthcare Professionals?

Asthma is a chronic disease affecting more than 300 million people globally. Poor asthma control that leads to unnecessary symptoms is estimated to affect nearly half of people with asthma. A critical way to address poor control is for healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients to enter a shared dialogue on treatment and asthma management. This article explores the views of both patient and HCP to better understand how to achieve asthma control. From the patient’s perspective, being a person with asthma has ramifications to one’s sense of identity, and thus one’s ability and willingness to actively manage their asthma. Furthermore, lack of education and concerns about the effectiveness of treatment can also ultimately lead to poor control, a term that can be understood differently by patients and HCPs. One goal is to help to normalise life for people with asthma. For this, HCPs need to align on what this means for each individual and then work together to produce a plan that can be applied to the patient’s daily life. Training for HCPs on good communication skills and empowering patients to be involved in their asthma management are both critical to ensure effective shared decision-making and, ultimately, improved quality of life for people with asthma.