The National Institute for Health and Care excellence (NICE), the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) have formed an alliance to produce a joint guideline on chronic asthma as part of broader ‘asthma pathway’.
The three organisations have announced that future UK-wide guidance for the diagnosis and management of the disorder in adults, young people and children will be produced jointly by the three organisations.
The guideline aims to support health professionals in making accurate diagnoses and providing effective treatments to control the condition and prevent acute asthma attacks, while promoting good practice and including recommendations in areas where differences in guidance had previously existed between the organisations.
NICE says that the document will form part of a broader set of guidance and materials, produced by BTS, SIGN and NICE, on diagnosing and managing asthma throughout an individual’s lifetime – a new ‘asthma pathway’, and that representatives of each organisation will work closely together over the coming months to develop a detailed scope, workplan and timeline for the new venture.
The BTS has announced that an ‘update session’ detailing early progress on the proposed guideline and pathway is scheduled to take place at the British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting in London later this year.
