Table S2.
Baseline patient characteristics: disease severity and therapies
| Variable | EHa (n=979) | OH (n=979) | P-valueb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk domain asthma control | |||
| Controlled, n (%) | 645 (65.9%) | 656 (67.0%) | 0.534 |
| Exacerbation rate (ATS/ERS) | |||
| Mean (SD) | 0.14 (0.45) | 0.14 (0.42) | 0.370 |
| Median (IQR) | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 0) | |
| Categorized | N/Ac | ||
| 0, n (%) | 865 (88.4%) | 865 (88.4%) | |
| 1, n (%) | 99 (10.1%) | 99 (10.1%) | |
| 2+, n (%) | 15 (1.5%) | 15 (1.5%) | |
| Exacerbation rate (clinical) | |||
| Mean (SD) | 0.47 (0.85) | 0.47 (0.84) | 0.899 |
| Median (IQR) | 0 (0, 1) | 0 (0, 1) | |
| Categorized | 0.713 | ||
| 0, n (%) | 672 (68.6%) | 660 (67.4%) | |
| 1, n (%) | 213 (21.8%) | 228 (23.3%) | |
| 2+, n (%) | 94 (9.6%) | 91 (9.3%) | |
| Overall asthma control | |||
| Controlled, n (%) | 597 (61.0%) | 591 (60.4%) | 0.655 |
| Acute oral steroid courses | |||
| Mean (SD) | 0.13 (0.43) | 0.12 (0.39) | 0.253 |
| Median (IQR | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 0) | |
| Categorized | 0.334 | ||
| 0, n (%) | 878 (89.7%) | 884 (90.3%) | |
| 1, n (%) | 87 (8.9%) | 81 (8.3%) | |
| 2+, n (%) | 14 (1.4%) | 14 (1.4%) | |
| LRTI consults with a/b script | |||
| Mean (SD) | 0.43 (0.86) | 0.44 (0.88) | 0.870 |
| Median (IQR) | 0 (0, 1) | 0 (0, 1) | |
| Categorized | 0.796 | ||
| 0, n (%) | 709 (72.4%) | 697 (71.2%) | |
| 1+, n (%) | 270 (27.6%) | 282 (28.8%) | |
| Primary-care consultations | |||
| Mean (SD) | |||
| All consults | 8.8 (7.1) | 8.8 (7.9) | 0.995 |
| Asthma-related | 1.4 (1.2) | 1.0 (1.0) | <0.001 |
| Asthma, no oral steroids | 1.3 (1.1) | 0.9 (1.0) | <0.001 |
| Respiratory prescriptions | |||
| Mean (SD) | |||
| All scripts | 9.1 (9.2) | 10.3 (8.9) | <0.001 |
| Allergy scripts | 1.7 (3.6) | 2.2 (4.6) | 0.005 |
| SABA scripts | 3.7 (4.3) | 3.7 (4.4) | 0.944 |
| ICS scripts | 3.8 (3.2) | 4.6 (3.3) | <0.001 |
| ICS inhalers | 4.3 (3.6) | 5.5 (4.8) | <0.001 |
| Average daily SABA dose (μg)d | |||
| Mean (SD) | 270.6 (395.8) | 277.9 (420.9) | 0.549 |
| Median (IQR) | 164.4 (54.8, 328.8) | 164.4 (54.8, 328.8) | |
| Categorized | N/Ac | ||
| 0, n (%) | 165 (16.9%) | 165 (16.9%) | |
| 1–200, n (%) | 395 (40.3%) | 395 (40.3%) | |
| 201–400, n (%) | 218 (22.3%) | 218 (22.3%) | |
| 401+, n (%) | 201 (20.5%) | 201 (20.5%) | |
| LABA use | |||
| Yes, n (%) | 81 (8.3%) | 150 (15.3%) | <0.001 |
| Average daily ICS dose (μg)e | |||
| Mean (SD) | 309.9 (334.7) | 384.3 (440.2) | <0.001 |
| Median (IQR) | 197.3 (109.6, 394.5) | 263.0 (109.6, 438.4) | |
| Categorized | <0.001 | ||
| 1–100, n (%) | 192 (19.6%) | 148 (15.1%) | |
| 101–200, n (%) | 303 (30.9%) | 234 (23.9%) | |
| 201–400, n (%) | 241 (24.6%) | 302 (30.8%) | |
| 401+, n (%) | 243 (24.8%) | 295 (30.1%) | |
| Asthma-related hospitalizationf | |||
| A&E attendance, n (%) | 3 (0.3%) | 4 (0.4%) | 0.708 |
| Inpatient admission, n (%) | 3 (0.3%) | 8 (0.8%) | 0.148 |
| Inpatient (incl vague), n (%) | 25 (2.6%) | 20 (2.0%) | 0.447 |
| Outpatient attendance, n (%) | 43 (4.4%) | 13 (1.3%) | <0.001 |
| Controller–reliever ratio | |||
| Mean (SD) | 0.6 (0.3) | 0.6 (0.2) | <0.001 |
| Median (IQR) | 0.5 (0.4, 0.7) | 0.5 (0.5, 08) | |
| Categorized | <0.001 | ||
| <0.5, n (%) | 349 (35.6%) | 262 (26.8%) | |
| ≥0.5, n (%) | 630 (64.4%) | 717 (73.2%) | |
Notes:
These patients were on OH during their baseline year but were switched to EH at IPD;
conditional logistic regression;
matching variable;
salbutamol-equivalent dosages;
BDP-equivalent dosages; average daily ICS dosage = total combined dose of re/filled prescriptions, averaged over 365 days;
any asthma- or respiratory-related hospital attendance/admission during the baseline year. Easyhaler® (Orion Pharma UK Ltd, Newbury, Berkshire, England). The numbers in bold are statistically significant (P<0.05).
Abbreviations: a/b, antibiotic; A&E, Accident and Emergency department; ATS/ERS, American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society; BDP, beclomethasone dipropionate; EH, Easyhaler®; ICS, inhaled corticosteroid; IPD, index prescription date; IQR, interquartile range; LABA, long-acting β2 receptor agonist; LRTI, lower respiratory tract infection; N/A, not applicable; OH, other inhalers; SABA, short-acting β2 receptor agonist; SD, standard deviation.