Quality of asthma treatment in children and adolescents (QUAST)

Study type

• Study type:
  Non-interventional study
• Scope of the study:
  Drug utilisation

Non-interventional study

• Non-interventional study design:
  Cohort

Study drug and medical condition

• Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code:
  (R03) DRUGS FOR OBSTRUCTIVE AIRWAY DISEASES

  (H02AB) Glucocorticoids

  (H02BX) Corticosteroids for systemic use, combinations

  (J01) ANTIBACTERIALS FOR SYSTEMIC USE
• Medical condition to be studied:
  Asthma

Population studied

• Age groups:
  Children (2 to < 12 years)

  Adolescents (12 to < 18 years)
• Estimated number of subjects:
  140000

Study design details

• Main study objective:
  The aim of this study is to assess the prescribing patterns of antiasthma drugs (ATC classe R03) and inhalation medical devices, oral corticosteroids and antibiotics in asthmatic children in primary care in France in order to identify deviations from recommendations.
• Outcomes:
  - To describe the prescribing patterns of antiasthma drugs and inhalation medical devices, oral corticosteroids, antibiotics and vaccines in asthmatic children in primary care, and their evolution over time.- To quantify the number of prescriptions that do not comply with international recommendations. - To compare the use of antibiotics within 2 years of the diagnosis of persistent asthma between matched asthmatic and non-asthmatic children and adolescents.- To describe the use of influenza vaccination in asthmatic children and adolescents.
• Data analysis plan:
  A retrospective cohort study between January 2011 and December 2017 using the EGB database, a 1/97th sample of the French national healthcare insurance system. Claims data for all individuals aged from 5 to 18 years old will be analysed. Exposure of interest will be identified via ATC codes. Prevalence and incidence rate will be calculated. Volume of use will be assessed as total number of prescriptions dispensed and DU90%. Users will be classified as occasional if they are dispensed antiasthmatic drugs only once during the year, low users if they are dispensed twice and high users if they are dispensed three or more times in a 12-months period. Severity of asthma will be assessed according to the number of antiasthmatic drugs classes prescribed in a 12-months period. All analyses will be stratified by year, age(5-11, 12-18 years) and gender. Adherence to recommendations will be assessed considering specific drugs dispensed and dosage, age, asthma severity, inhaled device prescription.