Implementation of Evidence-based Breathing Retraining for Patients with Asthma in Region Zealand, Denmark

Implementation of breathing retraining and evaluation of the implementation

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. It affects the patient's quality of life, because movement and activity are inhibited and by fear that the symptoms will worsen into asthma attacks.
Standard treatment is asthma medication and removing irritants from the airways. But only 40% of patients achieve symptom freedom.
It has previously been shown that breathing retraining, provided by a physiotherapist, can improve asthma-related quality of life in patients with mild to moderate asthma.
We have now shown that patients with more severe asthma also benefit from this treatment: Recently, we completed a large clinical trial, with participants from all 5 regions in Denmark (7 hospitals, 1 private clinic). A total of 193 patients with moderate to severe asthma participated. The trial was carried out from Næstved Hospital (project manager Karen H Andreasson, physiotherapist PhD). We found an effect of the treatment that corresponds to the effect, one finds by adding e.g., biological treatment to the standard medical treatment (inhaled steroid).
The treatment includes 3 sessions with a physiotherapist (2 hours in total) and daily home training during 12 weeks. The method, which is without risk, has a standard content (breathing retraining and relaxation) which adapted to the individual patient's needs.
But the treatment is not yet been a standard offer in Denmark. Therefore, we want to perform a project with a view to implementing the treatment in Region Zealand. We will find the participants in the medical practice clinics as well as at the hospitals where patients with asthma are treated (Næstved, Slagelse, Nykøbing Falster, Zealand University Hospital/Roskilde).
We will include 300 participants. Physiotherapists in hospital, in private practice and in municipalities will be recruited to provide the treatment. The implementation will also test the use of a tele-based contact between patient (at home) and physiotherapist (hospital/clinic) at the 2nd or 3rd session.