PCRS launches UK social movement to improve asthma care

PCRS has joined forces with international colleagues to promote a global initiative called Asthma Right Care (ARC) which aims to positively disrupt current thinking about the way asthma is treated in the UK.

Led by the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG), the initiative will explore how to use social movement approaches to create a sense of discomfort and dissatisfaction with the status quo in the management of asthma in a manner that’s positive and creates a sense of hope.

Other examples of social movements include the ‘hello my name is’ campaign and antibiotic guardianship. 

The challenge of implementing clinical guidelines into practice has been widely documented and further guidelines may not be the solution. The first phase of the ARC project takes a different approach built around the concept of producing conversation starters that allow people to come to their own conclusions for their role or area with regard to the over-reliance on short-acting beta2 agonists (SABAs). 

A multi-national team of patients, pharmacists, GPs and nurses from four pilot countries; the UK, Canada, Portugal, and Spain, have developed an ARC SlideRule which can be used to stimulate conversations with professional colleagues and patients. 

Introducing the ARC SlideRule at the PCRS national respiratory conference, PCRS executive chair Dr Noel Baxter said: “This is the beginning of a social movement for change. Our aim is to use these materials to start conversations which challenge the overuse of SABAs and promote the message about what the right care for asthma is which will make a real difference for patients in the future.”

This video shows PCRS member Darush Attar using the ARC SlideRule during the UK pilot project. 

Hard copies of the ARC SlideRule are freely available from AstraZeneca and can be used to extend the ARC movement to your area. These Guidance Notes provide potential steps and questions to ask when using the ARC SlideRule.