CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDIES EVALUATING VALUES AND PREFERENCES IN MODERATE-TO-SEVERE ASTHMA PATIENTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Introduction Understanding patient values and preferences can inform optimal asthma care. We systematically summarized the evidence addressing patient and caregiver values and preferences regarding the management of severe asthma. Methods To inform the upcoming AAAAI/ACAAI JTFPP severe and difficult-to-control asthma guidelines, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases from inception until January 3rd, 2024, for studies of patients with moderate-to-severe asthma or their caregivers which elicited values and preferences about asthma management. Paired reviewers independently screened citations and extracted data. Results We identified 5,567 citations and ultimately included 78 studies including 9,142 participants (8,894 patients, 248 caregivers) from 27 countries. Thirty-two studies (41%) were qualitative studies, 37 (47%) were quantitative studies, and 9 were mixed methods (12%). The identified studies included patients with a median of mean age of 46.7 years (range of means: 6.7 to 62.2 years) and a median 60% were female (range of proportions: 27% to 93%). Sixty-seven studies (86%) elicited the perspectives of patients only, and the remaining studies obtained the perspectives of caregivers only (n=6, 8%) or both patients and caregivers (n=5, 6%). One third of studies (n=27) received funding from industry sources. Conclusion The current literature contains many studies evaluating the values and preferences of patients and caregivers regarding the management of moderate-to-severe asthma. Thematic and inductive qualitative analysis of these studies will enable the derivation of key preference themes that may inform optimal patient care, clinical practice guidelines, and future areas of research.