title: InternationaL cross-sectIonAl and longItudinal assessment on aSthma cONtrol in European adult patients--the LIAISON study protocol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  According to international guidelines, the goal of asthma management is to achieve and maintain control of the disease, which can be assessed using composite measures. Prospective studies are required to determine how these measures are associated with asthma outcomes and/or future risk. The 'InternationaL cross-sectIonAl and longItudinal assessment on aSthma cONtrol (LIAISON)' observational study has been designed to evaluate asthma control and its determinants, including components of asthma management.
  
  
  METHODS
  The LIAISON study will be conducted in 12 European countries and comprises a cross-sectional phase and a 12-month prospective phase. Both phases will aim at assessing asthma control (six-item Asthma Control Questionnaire, ACQ), asthma-related quality of life (Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, Mini-AQLQ), risk of non-adherence to treatment (four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, MMAS-4), potential reasons for poor control, treatment strategies and associated healthcare costs.The cross-sectional phase will recruit > 8,000 adult patients diagnosed with asthma for at least 6 months and receiving the same asthma treatment in the 4 weeks before enrolment.The prospective phase will include all patients with uncontrolled/poorly controlled asthma at the initial visit to assess the proportion reaching control during follow-up and to examine predictors of future risk. Visits will take place after 3, 6 and 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The LIAISON study will provide important information on the prevalence of asthma control and on the quality of life in a broad spectrum of real-life patient populations from different European countries and will also contribute to evaluate differences in management strategies and their impact on healthcare costs over 12 months of observation.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01567280.
authors.affiliation: Allergy and Respiratory Diseases Clinic, University of Genoa, IRCCS-AOU San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Braido
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brusselle
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ingrassia
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicolini
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.forename: Joan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Worth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents