🏅 Conference Winning Abstract

The Reliever Reliance Test: evaluating a pragmatic tool to address SABA over-reliance (ID 563)

Moon Z, Kaplan A, Mak V, Nannini L, Winders T, Chan AHY, Foot H, Horne R

University College London

Funding: The development and evaluation of the RRT was supported by Spoonful of Sugar Ltd, a UCL Business Company and IPCRG Right Care, with funding from AstraZeneca.

Abstract

Background: Over-use and over-reliance on short-acting beta2 agonists (SABA) is associated with poor asthma control and greater risk of exacerbations and death. Identifying and addressing patient beliefs associated with SABA over-reliance is key to reducing over-use. The Reliever Reliance Test (RRT) is a pragmatic, self-test tool designed to identify and address beliefs which are associated with SABA over-reliance.

Aim:  To assess the utility, impact and acceptability of the Reliever Reliance Test (RRT), a brief patient self-test behaviour-change tool to identify and address SABA over-reliance.

Method: Patients with asthma who had completed the RRT in Argentina were invited to an online survey exploring the acceptability of the RRT, its impact on changing perceptions about asthma treatment and its impact on intention to discuss treatment with a doctor.

Results: 93 patients completed the questionnaire. The RRT classified 76/93 (82%) as medium-to-high risk of SABA over-reliance, with 73% of these reporting SABA overuse. After completing the RRT, 75% of patients at medium-to-high risk of over-reliance intended to visit their doctor to discuss their treatment. The RRT changed the way patients thought about their asthma treatment, with 67% agreeing that the RRT made them think they depend too much on their SABA and 66% questioning their asthma treatment.

Conclusion: The RRT is effective at changing perceptions about asthma treatment and motivating people to seek help. More research is needed to explore the extent to which it will change behaviour. However, this data supports the potential usefulness of the RRT as a tool in clinical practice.

Conflicts of interest: None

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