Vietnamese Consensus on the Structure and Content of Asthma Action Plan
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Asthma action plans (AAPs) are recommended for patients' self-management of asthma and should be adapted to a country's situation. This study aimed to develop expert consensus on the optimal structure, content, and action of asthma action plans for Vietnamese settings to ensure feasibility, acceptance, and implementation. <b>Methods</b>: A Delphi consensus was conducted over two rounds. The proposed items were evaluated by a Vietnamese panel of pulmonologists, allergists, tuberculosis/lung disease specialists, and general practitioners. Structured online questionnaires with five-point Likert scales were used. Consensus was defined as >80% agreement and <10% strong disagreement. <b>Results</b>: A total of 26 and 21 participants completed round 1 and round 2, respectively. The 4-zone format of AAP was preferred (42.3%) over the 3-zone (38.5%) or 2-zone (19.2%) formats. The AAP should include some key statements for asthma, symptoms for self-monitoring, an objective asthma control questionnaire, actions for changes in maintenance medication, and instructions in emergency situations. AAP zones should be classified by symptom frequency and severity. Patient actions should be tailored to their treatment regimen (MART or ICS/LABA + SABA). The APP might not include peak expiratory flow monitoring and oral corticosteroid self-administration for both the MART and ICS/LABA + SABA regimens and might not add SABA together with ICS dose escalation for the ICS/LABA + SABA regimen. <b>Conclusions</b>: This study established an expert consensus on fundamental AAP structural elements and actions for the Vietnamese. The failure to achieve consensus on PEF monitoring tools and OCS for the self-management of asthma exacerbation reflects concerns about medication abuse, especially in Vietnamese healthcare settings.
Authors
- Nguyen Van Tho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0198-6284)
- Lan Le Thi Tuyet
- Quyen Thi Le Pham (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9181-3626)
- Quan Vu-Tran-Thien (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2513-8463)
- Cong Nguyen Hai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3828-506X)
- Tuấn Trần Anh
- Huong Hoang Thi Lan
- Khai Ho Quoc
- Linh Duong Thi Chuc
Institutions
- Can Tho University (VN)
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (VN)
- University Medical Center HCMC (VN)
- Hue Central Hospital (VN)
- Tien Giang General Hospital (VN)
- Viet Duc Hospital (VN)
- 108 Military Central Hospital (VN)
- Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital (VN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Clinical Medicine
- Published
- 2025-12-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14248640
- Primary Topic
- Asthma and respiratory diseases
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00