Severe asthma patients’ experience: A quantitative descriptive survey in Greece

INTRODUCTION Severe asthma (SA) is a complex, heterogeneous disease.This survey aimed to understand SA patients' healthcare management in Greece and their perception of symptoms and well-being, and evaluate the impact of biological therapy on patients' quality of life (QoL).METHODS A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted from June 2021 to April 2023.The final sample consisted of 221 SA patients, based on questionnaires either provided by the healthcare professional in hardcopy or completed online.Patient-reported outcomes were how they feel or function in relation to their disease and treatment (based on Likert scales from 1 to 5).RESULTS Approximately 40% of patients expressed either neutral or poor/very poor QoL.The ability for intense physical activity was negatively influenced for all SA patient segments, yet to a lesser degree for patients receiving biological treatment (49% vs 69%, p=0.0029).A greater percentage of patients on biologic treatment compared to those not on biologic treatment reported no influence of SA on their mental health (44% vs 21%, p=0.0003) and no stress considering the possibility of exacerbations (46% vs 23%, p=0.0004).Cough/phlegm were the most frequent symptoms reported by 35% of SA patients followed by dyspnea/shortness of breath.Patients receiving biological treatment reported a significantly lower frequency of symptoms compared to patients not on biological treatment, indicating therapy effectiveness, particularly in dyspnea (26% vs 30%, p<0.0001) and cough (28% vs 41%, p<0.0001).Reduction of exacerbations (91%) followed by discontinuation of systemic corticosteroids use (83%) was the most important consideration for SA patients in assessing control of their asthma.CONCLUSIONS Severe asthma is associated with a significant health-related QoL burden due to excessive symptoms.We have shown that SA patients on biological treatment exhibit better HRQoL and fewer symptoms, compared to those not on biological treatment.