Table S4.
Patient characteristics during the outcome year: disease severity and therapies
| Variable | EHa (n=979) | OH (n=979) | P-valueb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk domain asthma control | |||
| Controlled, n (%) | 707 (72.2%) | 715 (73.0%) | 0.677 |
| Exacerbation rate (ATS/ERS) | |||
| Mean (SD) | 0.13 (0.45) | 0.11 (0.42) | 0.337 |
| Median (IQR) | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 0) | |
| Categorized | 0.318 | ||
| 0, n (%) | 881 (90.0%) | 892 (91.1%) | |
| 1, n (%) | 78 (8.0%) | 71 (7.3%) | |
| 2+, n (%) | 20 (2.0%) | 16 (1.6%) | |
| Exacerbation rate (clinical) | |||
| Mean (SD) | 0.4 (0.9) | 0.4 (0.9) | 0.866 |
| Median (IQR) | 0 (0, 1) | 0 (0, 1) | |
| Categorized | 0.685 | ||
| 0, n (%) | 725 (74.1%) | 721 (73.6%) | |
| 1, n (%) | 172 (17.6%) | 169 (17.3%) | |
| 2+, n (%) | 82 (8.4%) | 89 (9.1%) | |
| Overall asthma control | |||
| Controlled, n (%) | 401 (41.0%) | 356 (36.4%) | 0.016 |
| Acute oral steroid courses | |||
| Mean (SD) | 0.13 (0.44) | 0.11 (0.40) | 0.216 |
| Median (IQR) | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 0) | |
| Categorized | 0.224 | ||
| 0, n (%) | 883 (90.2%) | 895 (91.4%) | |
| 1, n (%) | 76 (7.8%) | 70 (7.2%) | |
| 2+, n (%) | 20 (2.0%) | 14 (1.4%) | |
| LRTI consults with a/b script | |||
| Mean (SD) | 0.39 (0.87) | 0.39 (0.86) | 0.978 |
| Median (IQR) | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 0) | |
| Categorized | 0.745 | ||
| 0, n (%) | 742 (75.8%) | 748 (76.4%) | |
| 1+, n (%) | 237 (24.2%) | 231 (23.6%) | |
| Primary-care consultations | |||
| Mean (SD) | |||
| All consults | 8.8 (8.1) | 8.9 (8.7) | 0.659 |
| Asthma-related | 0.9 (1.1) | 0.9 (1.0) | 0.658 |
| Asthma, no oral steroids | 0.8 (1.1) | 0.8 (0.9) | 0.784 |
| Respiratory prescriptions | |||
| Mean (SD) | |||
| All scripts | 10.8 (9.9) | 12.6 (10.1) | <0.001 |
| Allergy scripts | 1.9 (4.4) | 2.5 (4.7) | 0.006 |
| SABA scripts | 4.1 (4.5) | 4.5 (4.8) | 0.012 |
| ICS scripts | 4.8 (3.4) | 5.8 (3.6) | <0.001 |
| ICS inhalers | 5.5 (3.8) | 6.9 (4.7) | <0.001 |
| Average daily SABA dose (μg)c | |||
| Mean (SD) | 281.3 (390.9) | 332.7 (441.9) | <0.001 |
| Median (IQR) | 164.4 (54.8, 383.6) | 219.2 (109.6, 438.4) | |
| Categorized | <0.001 | ||
| 0, n (%) | 143 (14.6%) | 134 (13.7%) | |
| 1–200, n (%) | 365 (37.3%) | 326 (33.3%) | |
| 201–400, n (%) | 260 (26.6%) | 268 (27.4%) | |
| 401+, n (%) | 211 (21.5%) | 251 (25.6%) | |
| LABA use | |||
| Yes, n (%) | 101 (10.3%) | 160 (16.3%) | <0.001 |
| Average daily ICS dose (μg)d | |||
| Mean (SD) | 355.1 (304.8) | 493.6 (462.1) | <0.001 |
| Median (IQR) | 274 (164, 438) | 329 (192, 658) | |
| Categorized | <0.001 | ||
| 1–200, n (%) | 327 (33.4%) | 249 (25.4%) | |
| 201–400, n (%) | 375 (38.3%) | 315 (32.2%) | |
| 401–800, n (%) | 202 (20.6%) | 235 (24.0%) | |
| 801+, n (%) | 75 (7.7%) | 180 (18.4%) | |
| Asthma-related hospitalizatione | |||
| A&E attendance, n (%) | 2 (0.2%) | 5 (0.5%) | 0.274 |
| Inpatient admission, n (%) | 2 (0.2%) | 2 (0.2%) | 1.000 |
| Inpatient (incl vague), n (%) | 16 (1.6%) | 12 (1.2%) | 0.451 |
| Outpatient attendance, n (%) | 41 (4.2%) | 14 (1.4%) | <0.001 |
| Controller–reliever ratio | |||
| Mean (SD) | 0.6 (0.2) | 0.6 (0.2) | 0.590 |
| Median (IQR) | 0.5 (0.5, 0.8) | 0.5 (0.5, 08) | |
| Categorized | 0.430 | ||
| <0.5, n (%) | 272 (27.8%) | 258 (26.4%) | |
| ≥0.5, n (%) | 707 (72.2%) | 721 (73.6%) | |
Notes:
These patients were on OH during their baseline year but were switched to EH at IPD;
conditional logistic regression;
salbutamol-equivalent dosages;
BDP-equivalent dosages;
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.