Source: International Congress 2015 – Occupational and environmental cohort investigations and population studies
Disease area: Airway diseases

Abstract

Occupational asthma is implicated in 1 in 6 cases of new onset adult asthma, yet it remains poorly recognized by healthcare professionals, who fail to enquire about the nature of work or the effect of work on asthma symptoms (Walters et al. Occup Med 2012;62:570-3). We aimed to examine the feasibility of creating and running an electronic screening prompt for primary healthcare professionals in Birmingham, UK. A prospective study was undertaken in 4 GP practices over a 3-month period. Practices changed their existing electronic health records adding a customized asthma review template that embedded the questions “What is your occupation?” and “Are your symptoms better away from work on days away/on holiday?” Baseline practice-level data were gathered and all exposed healthcare professionals (GPs, practice nurses) were asked to complete an online questionnaire that evaluated utility and willingness to use the tool. 24/52 (46%) exposed GPs/nurses returned questionnaires, of whom 10 (42%) had used the tool; uptake was higher (85%) in those professionals who were given brief training. Healthcare professionals who used the tool found it user-friendly (clear, concise, logical) with no procedural or IT difficulties or significant added burden. Responders were less confident (44% agreed/strongly agreed) about managing work-related asthma symptoms and 78% agreed/strongly agreed that training in managing health aspects of occupational asthma would improve the screening tool.


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Gareth Walters (Solihull, West Midlands, United Kingdom), Gareth Walters, Jon Ayres. Feasibility of using an electronic screening tool for occupational asthma in primary care. Eur Respir J 2015; 46: Suppl. 59, 1170

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