Prevalence of difficult-to-treat asthma, Australian cross-sectional survey 2021

According to a cross-sectional survey of 6048 adult Australians with current asthma in the community (conducted in Feb-March 2021 during Covid measures), 21.7% of adults with asthma had difficult-to-treat asthma (DTTA) in 2021, of which:
– 50.4% had very poorly controlled asthma
– 36.2% were current smokers
– 85.4% had at least 1 additional chronic condition
61.4% of those with DTTA had at least 1 urgent GP visit in the last 12 months (compared to 27.5% in non-DTTA people; 4.8 times more likely).
41.9% of those with DTTA had at least 1 ED visit in the last 12 months (compared to 17.9% in non-DTTA; 3.8 times more likely).

The prevalence of DTTA was higher is areas of greater socioeconomic disadvantage, where participants were also less likely to have received biologic therapy in the previous three months.

DTTA was defined as severe asthma and/or poor asthma control and/or urgent asthma healthcare in previous 12 months despite medium-high dose ICS/LABA.
Note: the survey was conducted during COVID measures which may have impacted healthcare utilisation.