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Hansen S, Hoffmann-Petersen B, Sverrild A, Bräuner EV, Lykkegaard J, Bodtger U, Agertoft L, Korshøj L, Backer V. The Danish National Database for Asthma: establishing clinical quality indicators. Eur Clin Respir J 2016; 3:33903. [PMID: 27834178 PMCID: PMC5103671 DOI: 10.3402/ecrj.v3.33903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide affecting more than 300 million people. Symptoms are often non-specific and include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Asthma may be highly variable within the same individual over time. Although asthma results in death only in extreme cases, the disease is associated with significant morbidity, reduced quality of life, increased absenteeism, and large costs for society. Asthma can be diagnosed based on report of characteristic symptoms and/or the use of several different diagnostic tests. However, there is currently no gold standard for making a diagnosis, and some degree of misclassification and inter-observer variation can be expected. This may lead to local and regional differences in the treatment, monitoring, and follow-up of the patients. The Danish National Database for Asthma (DNDA) is slated to be established with the overall aim of collecting data on all patients treated for asthma in Denmark and systematically monitoring the treatment quality and disease management in both primary and secondary care facilities across the country. The DNDA links information from population-based disease registers in Denmark, including the National Patient Register, the National Prescription Registry, and the National Health Insurance Services register, and potentially includes all asthma patients in Denmark. The following quality indicators have been selected to monitor trends: first, conduction of annual asthma control visits, appropriate pharmacological treatment, measurement of lung function, and asthma challenge testing; second, tools used for diagnosis in new cases; and third, annual assessment of smoking status, height, and weight measurements, and the proportion of patients with acute hospital treatment. The DNDA will be launched in 2016 and will initially include patients treated in secondary care facilities in Denmark. In the nearby future, the database aims to include asthma diagnosis codes and clinical data registered by general practitioners and specialised practitioners as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Hansen
- Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Rigshospitalet Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark
| | | | - Asger Sverrild
- Respiratory Research Unit, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Bispebjerg Frederiksberg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elvira V Bräuner
- Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Rigshospitalet Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg - Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jesper Lykkegaard
- Research Unit of General Practice, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Uffe Bodtger
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Naestved Hospital, Region Zealand, Denmark
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zealand University Hospital Roskilde, Region Zealand, Denmark
- Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Lone Agertoft
- Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Vibeke Backer
- Respiratory Research Unit, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Bispebjerg Frederiksberg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark;
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Petersen KD, Kronborg C, Gyrd-Hansen D, Dahl R, Larsen JN, Linneberg A. Characteristics of patients receiving allergy vaccination: to which extent do socio-economic factors play a role? Eur J Public Health 2010; 21:323-8. [PMID: 20484343 PMCID: PMC3098894 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckq063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Little is known about characteristics of patients receiving allergen-specific immunotherapy. Identifying obstacles to appropriate treatment according to guidelines may facilitate the development of strategies aiming at improved treatment of patients with allergic respiratory diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate differences in disease severity, demographic and socioeconomic status between allergic rhinitis patients receiving allergen-specific immunotherapy and allergic rhinitis patients not receiving allergen-specific immunotherapy. Methods: A total of 366 patients were studied of whom 210 were going to receive subcutaneously administrated immunotherapy (SIT) against grass pollen and/or house dust mite allergy. The severity of rhino-conjunctivitis (hay fever) and/or asthma was classified according to international guidelines. The questionnaires included an EQ-5D visual analogue scale instrument and some socio-economic questions. Results: Severity of disease, young age, high level of education as well as greater perceived impairment of health-related quality of life due to allergic symptoms were significantly associated with use of SIT. Somewhat unexpectedly, household income was not associated with use of SIT. Conclusion: Use of SIT was associated with both disease severity measures and educational level, but not income level. These results suggest social inequality as reflected by lower use of SIT among patients with lower educational level may represent an obstacle to treatment with SIT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Dam Petersen
- Institute of Public Health-Health Economics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, Denmark.
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Current World Literature. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2008; 16:292-5. [DOI: 10.1097/moo.0b013e3283041256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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