Organization, Clinical and Management Indicators on the First Year of Activity of an Outpatient Clinic Dedicated to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Asthma in Italy

Silvia Tognella,1 Claudio Micheletto,2 Alessandro Roggeri,3 Guido Polese,4 Denise Artioli,1 Gianenrico Senna,5 Marco Caminati,5,6 Daniela Paola Roggeri3 1Pulmonology Unit, Mater Salutis Hospital, Legnago (Verona), Italy; 2Pulmonology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy; 3ProCure Solutions, Nembro, Bergamo, Italy; 4Pulmonology Unit, Magalini Hospital, Villafranca (Verona), Italy; 5Asthma Center and Allergy Unit, Verona University Hospital, Verona, Italy; 6Department of Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Section, University of Verona and Verona University Hospital, Verona, 37134, ItalyCorrespondence: Alessandro RoggeriProCure Solutions, Via Camozzi 1/C, Nembro, 24027, BG, ItalyTel +39 035 521121Email alessandro.roggeri@procuresolutions.itPurpose: A Regional Technical Commission was set in 2017 by Veneto region (Italy) to provide opinions and recommendations on drug prescriptions and to implement treatment-pathway guidelines for severe asthma. In this observational study, we describe the first structured, integrated, multidisciplinary, patient-centered outpatient clinic for the care of severe-asthma patients in Italy, and characterize patients referring to the center for specialist visits.Patients and Methods: To characterize patients that accessed the outpatient clinic in 2018, data on demographic characteristics, treatments, severity of asthma, phenotypes, and relevant comorbidities by phenotype were collected. Use of biologic agents and indicators of the performance of the outpatient clinic were described.Results: A structured multidisciplinary outpatient pathway for taking charge of patients and for administration and monitoring of biological agents was developed. A total of 146 patients accessed the outpatient clinic in 2018: 62.3% had uncontrolled asthma upon admission and 27.4% were already being treated with biologic agents. Among patients with uncontrolled asthma, 66% had severe uncontrolled asthma, 22% had moderate–severe