Respiratory tracker: HCPs highlight health inequalities and defend GPs’ asthma testing

​​Between 21 September and 20 October 2023 CREATION Pinpoint^® tracked the conversations of UK eHCPs discussing respiratory diseases on X (formerly Twitter). We analysed 2,856 posts by 1,204 eHCPs.

UK-based eHCPs reacted to events around the Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS) Conference, which took place between 21 September and 23 September. Over half of posts on the 22nd related to asthma (55.8%). eHCPs discussed a variety of topics related to asthma such as new guidelines, effective treatment of patients after an asthma attack, and the effect of health inequalities on children living with asthma.

Health inequalities have huge impact on children’s asthma. Every asthma attack causes damage to airways. Children in poorest 10% are 4 times more likely to end up in hospital.

Poverty , psychosocial and ethnicity are all factors here #PCRS pic.twitter.com/TBqAKBXO33

— Stuart Berry MRCGP (2001) (@stuartberry1) September 22, 2023

On 26 September, three days after the end of the PCRS conference, asthma was again high on the agenda for eHCPs in the UK. A BBC article, referencing respiratory charity Asthma and Lung UK, called the lack of GP asthma testing “abysmal”. A number of eHCPs reacted negatively to the article, arguing that the lack of testing was due to funding and “NHSE issues”; one GP stated that he was “expecting better” from Asthma and Lung UK.

Sarah, I don't think the headline is correct.

Lack of GP testing is due to Funding, the headline puts all the perceived blame on GPs & that is unfair!

Sorry, I was expecting better from @asthmalunguk

— Farhan Amin (@MFAminGP) September 26, 2023

On 03 October, UK-based Polish respiratory physiotherapist Agnieszka Lewko put out a call out to her peers with experience in critical care to volunteer their time to train HCPs working in Ukraine. This was the most widely shared post during the study  period, being shared 16 times by eHCPs in the UK. The post tagged The Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care, or ACPRC, meaning it was the third most mentioned organisation during the study period behind PCRS UK and Asthma + Lung UK.

We are looking for respiratory physiotherpists @TheACPRC with expertise in critical care, to help with online training for our physio colleagues in Ukraine 🇺🇦. Sessions in October-November. DM me or @NHSLeader if you could offer your time.

— Agnieszka Lewko PhD (she/her) 💙🇺🇦 (@AgnieszkaLewko) October 3, 2023

Each month, we track the eHCP conversation relating to respiratory disease. You can read other editions in the Respiratory Tracker archive .

You can also keep up to date with other pharmaceutical tracking updates, including how HCPs engage with Top 50 pharma and which product approvals are catching their attention.  To receive these updates straight to your inbox you can sign up to receive our monthly eJournal with all of our latest HCP insights. 

If you would like to dig deeper into what we have seen this month then please do get in touch. 

Methodology

• This article analysed the conversation on 1,204 of HCPs in the UK discussing respiratory disease and related terms between 21 September and 20 October 2023 using CREATION Pinpoint^®.
• Between 21 September and 20 October 2023, there were 2,856 UK eHCP mentions of respiratory disease and related terms, from 1,204 unique UK eHCP authors.