Asthma: annual review
Indicator
The percentage of patients with asthma on the register, who have had an asthma review in the preceding 12 months that includes an assessment of asthma control using a validated asthma control questionnaire (including assessment of short acting beta agonist use), a recording of the number of exacerbations and a written personalised action plan.
Indicator type
General practice indicator suitable for use in the QOF.
This document does not represent formal NICE guidance. For a full list of NICE indicators, see our menu of indicators.
To find out how to use indicators and how we develop them, see our NICE indicator process guide.
Rationale
This indicator aims to encourage the use of validated asthma questionnaires, recording of the number of exacerbations, and written action plans in annual asthma reviews. These reviews can help identify people at increased risk of poor outcomes, and allow them to use information from their review to self-manage their asthma and maximise their future health.
Source guidance
Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management. NICE guideline NG80 (2017, updated 2021), recommendations 1.10.1, 1.10.5 and 1.13.2
Specification
Numerator: The number of patients in the denominator who have had an asthma review in the preceding 12 months that included an assessment of asthma control using a validated asthma control questionnaire (including assessment of short acting beta agonist use), a recording of the number of exacerbations and a written personalised action plan.
Denominator: The number of patients on the asthma register (see NICE indicator IND186).
Calculation: Numerator divided by denominator, multiplied by 100.
Exclusions: Children under 5 years.
Minimum population: The indicator would be appropriate to assess performance at individual general practice level.
Personalised care adjustments or exception reporting should be considered to account for situations where the patient declines, does not attend (for payment purposes, did not respond to 2 asthma care review invitations) or if this care is not appropriate.
Expected population size: Quality and Outcomes Framework data for 2022 to 2023 (indicator AST007) shows that 6.1% of people (age 6 and over) in England have asthma: 613 patients for an average practice with 10,000 patients. To be suitable for use in QOF, there should be more than 20 patients eligible for inclusion in the denominator, per average practice with 10,000 patients, prior to application of personalised care adjustments.