Improving asthma inhaler use: Innovative models for inter-professional practice (ARC funded project)

Summary

Opportunity to explore the impact of collaborative relationships between pharmacists and general practitioners on asthma outcomes through training people with asthma about correct device use. Research is based on an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant to Dr Bosnic-Anticevich in partnership with the National Prescribing Service (NPS) Ltd to explore collaborations in asthma management in the community. There is also the possibility for international academic collaboration. 

Supervisor(s)

Dr Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich, Professor Carol Armour

Research Location

Pharmacy Research Theme - Respiratory Disease

Program Type

Masters/PHD

Synopsis

Asthma management: barriers and facilitators to collaboration between pharmacists and GPs 
The most effective and safe method of delivering medication to prevent and treat asthma exacerbations is the self administration of medicines via asthma devices (inhalers).  Dr Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich, from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney, has focused her research on inhaler devices. Most recently, Dr Bosnic-Anticevich was involved in research conducted with Dr Iman Basheti.  Preliminary work conducted by members of this research team have found that improving the use of asthma devices will result in improved asthma control, lung function and quality of life for people with asthma (Basheti et al., 2007). However, it was also found that 92% of asthmatics do not use their inhalation devices correctly (Basheti et al., 2007). The outcomes of the Basheti et al., 2007 research, led Dr Bosnic-Anticevich to develop a research model encompassing the positive impact of pharmacists educating their patients on device technique while addressing the issue of collaboration between health care professionals involved in asthma care.  The National Prescribing Service (NPS), also has an interest in improving medication use and became a joint partner in establishing this project for which a grant has been awarded by the Australian Research Council (ARC). This project aims to assess the impact of three different models of health professional education to improve the use of asthma devices by people with asthma and ultimately, improve asthma control, prevent asthma exacerbations that require hospitalisation, time away from work or school and ensure the cost-effective use of asthma devices.

Additional Information

The collaborative interventions that are developed during the project will also promote an interdisciplinary approach to asthma management in the community and ultimately be used to enhance the management of people with other conditions such as chronic airways limitations.  There are two phases of the study.

Phase One will utilise qualitative methodology to explore the barriers and facilitators to collaborative practice. GPs and pharmacists will be selected to participate in interviews that will explore current relationships between the health care professionals. A variety of GPs and pharmacists will be invited to participate including those within close geographical proximity to others and those that are in known collaborative relationships. Participants will be from Australia, The United Kingdom and Finland. Participants will also be asked to complete a quantitative questionnaire to measure their level of collaboration (Zillich et al., 2004) Analysis of the transcripts from these interviews will identify barriers and facilitators of collaborative relationships between GPs and pharmacists. This is critical to the understanding relationships and will be used in addition to the results of the quantitative survey to develop a collaborative model to be incorporated in Phase Two of the study. 

Phase Two is the quantitative component of the project that will provide health care professionals with device training that has been demonstrated to effectively improve asthma outcomes. There will be three different models of training. All three models aim to train pharmacists and GPs on how to
i) use asthma devices correctly
ii)accurately assess the device technique of patients and
iii) educate consumers on the correct use of these devices so that a significant and sustainable improvements in outcomes are achieved.  

Scholarship available:
$31627 for year 1
$31927 for year 2 and
$32242 for year 3

Keywords

devices, pharmacists, general practitioners, relationships, collaboration, Asthma

Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is: 764

Other opportunities with Dr Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich

• Improving professional relationships in asthma care
• Understanding and improving inhaler device use in asthma management

Other opportunities with Professor Carol Armour

• Airway smooth muscle control of mast cell location: Molecular mechanisms
• Asthma: Young adult self management
• Interdisciplinary sleep health research