Setting a PERSONalized Outcome in ASthma: the PERSONAS Study. A Patient Driven Outcome (PDO) Study

To optimize the effectiveness of asthma therapy there is a need to identify and address individual patient goals. Considering the self-management discussion as central for the achievement of health outcomes, Healthcare Providers may help patients make specific actions to obtain their desired goals. The current evidence suggest that Healthcare Professionals need to develop a more patient-centered and partnership-based approach based on the development and review of action plans, including the experiential asthma knowledge of patients and caregivers. From a practical perspective, the specialist (i.e. pulmunologists, allergologists, etc) has clear therapeutic targets to be reached in asthmatic patients: for example, improving the disease control, the spirometric values and asthma control test (ACT) score vs. pre-treatment evaluations represent the standard outcomes to reach (GINA 2019). However, as previously described, patients are more likely to achieve an improved clinical outcome when the treatment is driven by a personalized goal. This builds on the same principle as shared decision making between the physician and patient, recognizing both the personal motivation and the accountability on behalf of the patient (Hoskins et al. 2016). This study aims to evaluate if the identification of a personalized outcome allows patients to achieve a better control of asthma in terms of asthma control test (ACT) and asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ). In addition, a set of clinical outcomes (i.e. forced expiratory volume in one second - FEV1, use of rescue therapy, night awakeness) will also be assessed.