Accreditation of specialized asthma units for adults in Spain: an applicable experience for the management of difficult-to-control asthma

Abstract

This paper, developed by consensus of staff physicians of accredited asthma units for the management of severe asthma, presents information on the process and requirements for already-existing asthma units to achieve official accreditation by the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR). Three levels of specialized asthma care have been established based on available resources, which include specialized units for highly complex asthma, specialized asthma units, and basic asthma units. Regardless of the level of accreditation obtained, the distinction of “excellence” could be granted when more requirements in the areas of provision of care, technical and human resources, training in asthma, and teaching and research activities were met at each level. The Spanish experience in the process of accreditation of specialized asthma units, particularly for the care of patients with difficult-to-control asthma, may be applicable to other health care settings.

Keywords:

• asthma unit
• severe asthma
• uncontrolled asthma
• asthma treatment

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Novartis for the logistic support and to Marta Pulido, MD, PhD, for editing the manuscript and for the editorial assistance.

The following are the members of “The DUMA Study Group” (DUMA is the Spanish acronym for Development of Monographic Asthma Units.): Vicente Plaza Moral, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; Isabel Urrutia Landa, Hospital de Galdakao, Bizkaia, Spain; Carlos Villasante, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain; Xavier Muñoz, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, CIBERES, Barcelona, Spain; Núria Marina Malanda, Hospital Universitario de Cruces, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain; Carlos Melero Moreno, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; Francisco Javier Álvarez Gutiérrez, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, Spain; Alicia Padilla Galo, Agencia Sanitaria Costa del Sol, Marbella, Málaga, Spain; Celia Pinedo Sierra, Hospital Universitario Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain; Luís Pérez de Llano, Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti (HULA), Lugo, Spain; Vicente Antolín López Viña, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain; Borja Cosío, Hospital Universitario Son Espases, CIBERES, Palma de Mallorca, Spain; Carolina Cisneros Serrano, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Madrid, Spain; Eva Martínez Moragón, Hospital Universitari Doctor Peset, Valencia, Spain; Gregorio Soto Campos, Hospital de Jerez, Cádiz, Spain; Julia García, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; José Serrano Pariente, Hospital Comarcal de Inca, Inca, Mallorca, Islas Baleares, Spain; Bernardino Alcázar Navarete, Hospital de Alta Resolución de Loja, Granada, Spain; Beatriz Arias, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, Madrid, Spain; Juan Ortiz, Hospital del Bierzo, León, Spain; Cleofé Fernández, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante, Spain; Rosa Irigarai, Hospital de Manacor, Manacor, Mallorca, Islas Baleares, Spain; and César Picado, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona, CIBERES, Barcelona, Spain.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.