Is asthma stigmatised within different communities? (Content from AstraZeneca)

In this episode, we focus on long-term respiratory conditions with Dr Llinos Jones, who reflects on her experiences tackling inequalities of care within Kirklees. Dr Llinos Jones is a Respiratory Consultant based at Dewsbury and District Hospital.

Dr Llinos Jones would like her take-home messages to be:

• Have an appreciation of the potential barriers which may exist for certain patients when it comes to understanding what their treatment is and why they should take it.
• Be mindful of the issues regarding general literacy and health literacy amongst your patients. Consider tailoring the advice you give to your patients, based on their literacy skills.
• Be aware of the cultural differences which may exist within your regional practice.

Useful links

• Primacy Care Respiratory Society: A practical approach to tackling SABA over-reliance in practice (on-demand webinar) [last accessed January 2021]
• Primary Care Respiratory Society: Asthma Right Care (ARC) slide rule [last accessed January 2021]
• Respiratory Futures in partnership with British Thoracic Society: Health inequalities and the future of respiratory care (recording of Respiratory Futures session at the BTS Winter Meeting 2019) [last accessed January 2021]
• Respiratory Futures in partnership with British Thoracic Society: Improving health equity by embracing diversity by Dr Llinos Jones [last accessed January 2021]
• InterACT Medical Education: Asthma 101 for healthcare professionals [last accessed January 2021]
• InterACT Medical Education: Severe asthma 101 for healthcare professionals [last accessed January 2021]

References

1. McKibben S et al. European Respiratory Journal 2020;56(Suppl. 64):1364. Available from: https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/1364 [last accessed 18 January 2021]
2. Royal College of Physicians. Why Asthma Still Kills. The National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD). May 2014. Available from: https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/why-asthma-still-kills [last accessed 18 January 2021]
3. British Thoracic Society, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. SIGN158 British guideline on the management of asthma. Edinburgh. Revision edition published July 2019. Available from: http://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/quality-improvement/guidelines/asthma [last accessed 18 January 2021]
4. King’s Fund. Health inequalities: our position. October 2020. Available from: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/positions/health-inequalities [last accessed 18 January 2021]
5. National Literacy Trust. Adult literacy. Available from: https://literacytrust.org.uk/parents-and-families/adult-literacy/ [last accessed 18 January 2021]