Authors: (including presenting author): :
WOO LY(1)
Affiliation: :
(1) Yan Chai Hospital Family Medicine Clinic, Department of Family Medicine and Primary Healthcare, Kowloon West Cluster, Hospital Authority
Keyword 3: :
Family Medicine
Introduction: :
Asthma is a common chronic illness in Hong Kong, carrying significant morbidity and mortality among patients with poorly controlled symptoms or frequent exacerbations. International asthma guidelines are well-established to provide evidence-based management strategies for clinicians.
Objectives: :
To identify deficiencies in current clinical practice of asthma management and implement changes in order to improve the standard of care in a Family Medicine Clinic (FMC) under the Hospital Authority.
Methodology: :
Asthma patients were recruited into the audit according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Evidence-based audit criteria and standards were set after literature review. The first cycle was conducted from July 2023 to November 2023. Areas of deficiency in clinical practice were identified and interventions were implemented from March 2024 to March 2025. The second cycle was conducted from April 2025 to August 2025. Results were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
Result & Outcome: :
123 patients were recruited in the first cycle, and 138 patients were recruited in the second cycle. None of the audit criteria were met in the first cycle. Identified deficiencies included clinic resource shortages, underprioritization of asthma and gaps in clinicians’ knowledge of asthma management. Multi-level interventions included audit briefings, room-based tools (bilingual action plans, pamphlets, referral forms, reminders), nurse-led education sessions, and liaison for spirometry appointments. In the second cycle, 12 out of 15 audit criteria were met with statistically significant improvements. This clinical audit significantly enhanced asthma management in the author’s FMC, improving patient outcomes through evidence-based interventions. Sustained improvements require ongoing audits to monitor adherence, refine strategies, and address remaining deficiencies, ensuring continuous enhancement of asthma management in the future.
