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

Figures & data

Table 1 Criteria requested for accreditation of the different levels of asthma units by the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR)

Activities	Specialized unit for highly complex asthma	Specialized asthma unit	Basic asthma unit
Health care activity	Stable functioning organigram Availability of a physical space for consultations and complementary studies Provision of informatics systems, databases, documentation files, and action protocols Number of asthma patients attended annually between 500 and 1,000 Possibility of providing emergency care for patients with acute exacerbations without the need of hospital admission, >50/year Coordinated activity with other specialists (allergy, ear, nose, and throat, and pediatrics) is advisable Standardized education program	Stable functioning organigram Availability of a physical space for consultations and complementary studies Health care and education protocols Number of asthma patients attended annually between 250 and 500 Possibility of providing emergency care for patients with acute exacerbations without the need of hospital admission The presence of a database is advisable Coordinated activity with other specialists (allergy, ear, nose, and throat, and pediatrics) is advisable	Stable organigram Number of asthma patients attended annually between 100 and 250
Technical resource	Specific physical space Office and clinical material	Specific physical space Office and clinical material	Specific physical space Office and clinical material
Human resources	Multidisciplinary group of health care professionals specialized in asthma, with a specialist in pneumology as the head of the unit, and at least three staff physicians At least two nurses Other possible members of the unit: at least two scholars (recommendable) with optional one allergologist and a psychologist	A specialist in pneumology as the head of the unit, with at least two staff physicians At least one nurse At least one scholar (recommendable)	Activity developed by a specialist in pneumology
Accredited training in asthma	Teachers or attendees (participants) of accredited courses on asthma, at the level of the autonomous communities or given by SEPAR, or that some of the staff members had taken accredited international courses on asthma or a master in asthma Recommendable to have been a member of the Emerging Asthma Group (Grupo Emergente Asma [GEA]) of the SEPAR	Evaluable criteria (EC) that some of the staff members have been teachers or attendees (participants) of accredited courses on asthma at the autonomous community level or given by SEPAR EC that some of the staff members had taken accredited international courses on asthma or a master in asthma Recommendable that at least some member of the unit belongs to or has been taking part in the Emerging Asthma Group (GEA) of the SEPAR	Indispensable to have been taken part in accredited courses on asthma at the level of the autonomous communities or given by SEPAR, other accredited international courses on asthma or a master in asthma Recommendable to have been a member of the Emerging Asthma Group (GEA) of the SEPAR
Teaching activity	Pre-graduate and post-graduate teaching activity At least one of the staff members should have the academic degree of Doctorate in Medicine Study project or doctoral thesis related with asthma directed by the unit in the last 5 years	Pre-graduate and post-graduate teaching activity Recommendable that at least one the staff members has the academic degree of Doctorate in Medicine Recommendable to have the direction of a doctoral thesis on asthma in the last 5 years	Not requested at this level
Research activity	Minimal mandatory activity: at least five original articles published in journals with impact factor, recommendable at least two research projects financed by SEPAR, and at least participation in two projects in which the Integrated Research Program (IRP) of asthma of SEPAR would have been involved Participation in clinical trials of asthma It is recommendable the participation in research projects of the Biomedical Research Networking Centers (CIBER) and having obtained Fondo de Investigación en Salud (FIS) grants for some research project of the unit in the last 5 years	Minimal mandatory activity: at least two original articles published in journals with impact factor, recommendable at least one research project financed by SEPAR, and at least participation in one project in which the IRP of asthma of SEPAR would have been involved Recommendable to develop clinical trials of asthma	Recommendable that in the last 5 years, there has been an article published in a journal with impact factor and participation in a project financed by SEPAR or in projects in which the IRP of SEPAR would have been involved
Representative activity	Mandatory participation in asthma health promotion activities under the auspices of health care systems of the autonomous communities, the Spanish national health care system or international health care systems, or public or private bodies	Recommendable to belong or to have been a member of the Executive Committee of the Asthma Area of SEPAR or the Executive Committee of the IRP of asthma of SEPAR or a member of working groups of similar local (autonomous communities) or international societies	Not requested at this level