Tensions surrounding the use of inhaled asthma medication in The Gambia: a qualitative study of asthma patients and health care workers

Tensions surrounding the use of inhaled asthma medication in The Gambia: a qualitative study of asthma patients and health care workers | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Tensions surrounding the use of inhaled asthma medication in The Gambia: a qualitative study of asthma patients and health care workers S Jayasooriya, M Inoue, H Allen, M Bojang, A Ceesay, S Touray, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4812015/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Oct, 2024 Read the published version in npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine → Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Introduction: Asthma-related mortality is high in low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about public perceptions of inhaled medicines. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with asthma patients and health care workers at three public health facilities in The Gambia, between August and November 2022. Thematic analysis was used to interpret these data. Results: A total of 20 patients and 15 health care workers were interviewed. Both groups felt limited access to inhalers was a significant issue resulting in continued use of oral medications. While some patients recognised the benefits of inhaler use, beliefs that inhalers were dangerous were common. Reliance on oral short-acting beta agonists meant patients saw asthma as a recurrent acute condition resulting in an emphasis on hospital management with little awareness of inhaled preventative medicines. Discussion: Increasing access to inhaled medicines has the potential to save lives but socio-cultural factors in addition to medication supply need addressing. Health sciences/Diseases/Respiratory tract diseases/Asthma Health sciences/Health care Introduction Asthma is one of the most common non-communicable diseases among adults and is estimated by the Global Burden of Disease (2019) to affect an estimated 262 million people globally.( 1 – 4 ) The highest asthma related mortality is found in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).( 5 ) Effective inhaled medicines for chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma are known to be both difficult to obtain and poorly utilised in sub Saharan Africa.( 6 – 8 ) Data from The Gambia, West Africa, has highlighted the lack of affordable access to inhalers, with combination inhalers (corticosteroid and fast/long acting beta2 agonists e.g. budesonide and formoterol) being the least accessible.( 9 ) Combination inhalers are on the World Health Organisation (WHO) essential medicines list for the treatment of asthma and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) recommends as-needed combination low-dose inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol as a first step in asthma management, while recognising the importance of access to inhalers, adherence and inhaler technique.( 10 ) In most LMICs there is a lack of national guidance for asthma care, and diagnostic testing for asthma is not universally available.( 11 ) The limited access to WHO essentials medicines for asthma in countries such as The Gambia make the implementation of international asthma guidance and diagnostic testing a significant challenge.( 9 , 12 ) Coupled with the lack of accessibility to inhaled medicines for the effective treatment of asthma, in some LMICs, including The Gambia, there has been continued use of oral short-acting beta agonist (SABA) tablets.( 12 , 13 ) The continued use of oral SABA adds a further dimension of complexity when trying to implement appropriate guidance for asthma treatment. Clinical standards have been developed using a Delphi process by those working in LMIC settings to offer a pragmatic approach to asthma treatment specifically recognising settings where WHO essential medicines are unavailable.( 14 ) Alongside providing clinical standards for a pragmatic approach to asthma care, utilising available medications, it strongly advocates for wider system change to improve in country access to inhaled medicines. Reasons for limited availability and use of inhalers is complex, not fully understood and relates to multiple levels and barriers within a health system.( 15 ) This includes the influence of service users’ and health care workers’ perceptions and experiences of an inhaled versus an oral medicine, which has been explored in relation to oral versus inhaled corticosteroids in a high-income setting, but to the best of our knowledge has not been explored in an LMIC setting.( 16 ) This study explores patients’ and providers’ perceptions and lived experiences of inhaled medicines for asthma care, which are in line with current GINA recommendations, in The Gambia, where there is limited access to inhaled medicines. Methods Setting and Recruitment: This qualitative research study used purposive and snowball sampling to recruit participants from three health care facilities in The Gambia, namely, Kanifing General Hospital, Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital Bakau Centre (formally Ndemban Clinic) and the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at LSHTM Clinic (MRC Clinic). The MRC clinic is predominantly a research clinic and therefore health care workers from that facility were not recruited as they were not government sector employed. Eligible participants included patients, once clinically stable, with symptoms consistent with an acute exacerbation of asthma in the emergency departments and in-patient wards, and frontline health care workers within these facilities. Symptoms considered consistent with asthma were used in recognition of the limited access to respiratory diagnostic testing in The Gambia and hence many patients in this setting lack a formal diagnosis. The defining symptoms used were as per GINA guidance, shortness of breath, wheeze, chest tightness and cough, and patients were only approached if deemed appropriate by the clinical staff overseeing the sampling. Ethics: Ethical approval was obtained from the Medical Research Council The Gambia at the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Ethics Committee Ref: 26173 and approved by the University of Sheffield Ethics Committee Ref: 709. All ethical standards and procedures were met, including processes for informed consent of study participants. Data Collection and Analysis: Semi-structured interviews were conducted between August and November 2022, by trained Gambian social scientists (H.A., M.B., and A.C.), in English, Wolof or Mandinka, as chosen by the participants. Prior to this research project H.A., M.B. and A.C had no personal experience of asthma within the Gambian health system. This enabled an open approach to interviewing with the participant as the central expert, but also had the potential to limit the depth of exploration. To mitigate for this basic training on asthma care, study processes and procedures was provided by S.J. with regular scheduled reflective meetings throughout the data collection period. A semi-structured topic guide was used to facilitate the interviews, and these were conducted until there were no new themes emerging. Interviews were recorded, and for the purpose of reporting they were anonymised and transcribed in English by experienced translators (M.B. and A.C.). All transcriptions were repeatedly read and re-read by S.J. and M.I to enable familiarisation with the data, and independently coded using NVivo v14 data management software. After initial coding of interview data, initial themes were generated, which were then refined and finalised through discussions within the study team at regular intervals. (17,18) Results All eligible health care workers agreed to participate in the study, and only one patient participant that was approached declined. A total of 20 patients, (12 females) and 15 health care providers (five nurses, five pharmacists and five doctors, 10 of which were male), were interviewed. All but three patients were recruited from Kanifing General Hospital and Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital Bakau Centre (formally Ndemban Clinic), the final three patients were recruited from the Medical Research Council Gambia Clinic at LSHTM in The Gambia. Health professionals were recruited from the two-government sector health care facilities, six from Kanifing General Hospital and nine from Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital Bakau Centre (formally Ndemban Clinic). Patients and providers, while positively recognising the benefits of inhaler use for asthma, expressed concern about the lack of access to inhaled medicines in The Gambian health system and felt this was a major problem. Both patients and providers had positive perceptions of inhaler use for asthma despite affordability and availability issues, and patient perceived harms from inhaler use. Patient experiences of inhaler use overwhelmingly focused on the use of inhaled SABA, as they had little or no experience of the use of inhaled corticosteroids for the treatment of asthma. The limited supply and lack of inhaled corticosteriod use meant few patients experienced the benefits of preventative treatment. Continued use of cheap oral SABA reinforced perceptions of asthma as a recurrent acute illness rather than a chronic condition that is life-long. The requirement for on-going asthma treatment and the ability to avoid acute attacks that require admissions was notably absent. Poor availability and affordability affect prescribing and use of inhaled medicines Patients repeatedly echoed experiences of being unable to obtain inhaled medications both in the public sector and in private sector pharmacies: “[…] let’s be frank to each other, public hospitals don’t have medications. When you go there you wouldn’t have medications because none of them have medications […]” SU08 “[…] You know not everyone have the money to buy inhalers so if they give them the salbutamol pills they will take it and will not buy the inhaler . […]” SU17 What was very evident was that in contrast to the difficulties accessing inhalers, there was relatively easy access to SABA tablets, and these were often obtained from the public sector hospital: “[…] at the hospital they will prescribe salbutamol for me take one tablet three times a day […]” SU05 The findings from patient interviews were mirrored in health professional interviews with many reflecting on the lack of availability of inhaled medicines even if prescribed: “[…] all that I can say is they [inhaled medicines] are not available; for most they are not available.” HP03 “[…] as I told you in the government sector, and you don't have much in the supply chain with inhale medicines.” HP10 There was a sense of futility and passive acceptance among health care workers, and they noted that their general prescribing behaviours were influenced by the availability of medicines. In many instances practitioners were driven towards the prescribing of SABA tablets due to a lack of access to inhalers in the public sector: “We, like I said, we have the oral, oral medicines in our health system. So basically, I desperately use the oral medications instead of inhaled medicines.” HP05 “For here, what we normally prescribe more, let's say maybe 80% or more, is salbutamol tablets that that I've seen more.” HP14 Perceived harms of inhaled medicines Patients and practitioners both described similar strongly held beliefs that they had encountered held by community members regarding the use of inhaled medicines. “But when my husband asked me what did they give you, so I showed him, and he asked me not use the inhaler because I don’t have breathlessness frequently and if you get used to it, it might be a problem.” SU20 Socio-cultural factors have previously been shown to influence adherence to treatments in The Gambia. (19) The beliefs encountered reflected concerns about dependence and worsening of asthma symptoms due to treatment, combined with, in some instances, the fear of death if inhaled medication were used and subsequently became unavailable. These harms were felt to be widespread: “….like if I am addicted to and if I don’t have it, I can die… but some of the comments I receive from people, people are afraid of addictions, getting addicted to it and not getting it at the time of need so that is a concern people have. They are afraid of getting addicted to it.” SU16 Health professionals also reported this belief among their patients….. “So sometimes they have this notion that maybe I am going to die because I must use the inhaler. Someone told me that if you stop using inhaler you will die.” HP01 “….most patient will not use because they think it makes you glue to it and because you glue to it you don’t recovery and you tend to have it a habit, that’s one misconception of it.” HP06 However, some patients directly challenged the circulating perceived harms based on their personal experiences of use of inhaled medicines. “They said if one use it the person don’t recover from the illness but that doesn’t discourage me because each and every person know how one feels when sick. If the inhaler is helpful, the one using it knows about it. So those mere words don’t discourage me and there is someone with asthma who gave me his inhalers because he don’t use it.” SU12 “Many people do tell me not to get so used to the inhaler but I am still using it because it makes me feel relief.” SU13 Positive perceptions of asthma inhalers over tablets Despite the lack of access to inhaled medicines and persistent negative lay beliefs said to be circulating in the community, patients and practitioners had positive perceptions of inhaled medicines for the treatment of asthma. This was apparent from the descriptions patients made directly comparing tablets and inhalers: “…..the inhaler [is] quicker to feel relief than the pills.” SU02 “The inhaler [is] the [more] quick reliever than the tablets because if I take the tablets I do feel relief but it takes time.” SU05 “….when you have attack and have the inhaler with you, you just use it and feel relief…” SU18 All health care workers interviewed had positive attitudes towards inhaler use and recognised their value. “It (inhaler) works much better than oral. Because they are giving at a point of action where they need to act” HP06 Health care workers did describe a reluctance around the prescribing of inhalers, as they are harder to source and pay for in addition to circulating beliefs around their addictive potential and risk of death. “but if they are not available patients have to buy it from outside which is an obstacle because some of them cannot afford it” HP07 Asthma as an acute and not chronic condition leading to recurrent hospitalisation There was a relative absence of the role of prevention in asthma and the dominant discourse was that this was an acute condition and, because of this, a view that hospital management was the most appropriate way to treat asthma. Only two health care workers reflected on their experiences of the use of inhaled corticosteroid, with one reflecting on how a lack of availability reinforces patients limited awareness of the need for it: “Once they [patients] start these, these daily, like inhaled corticosteroid, the difference [is] remarkable…… …… so basically, the mainstay of treatment is inhaled corticosteroids. For many years, it's not been available, so [patients], they're not aware of it.” HP04 Perhaps not surprisingly given the lack of access, the use of inhaled corticosteroids was a notable omission from patients’ narratives and those of most health care workers. Asthma was overwhelmingly described by patients as an acute illness of repeated attacks, and there was no reference in patient narratives to it being a long-term chronic condition. Moreover, the acute perception of asthma led to the dominance of the hospital being the most appropriate health setting to manage asthma: “I have been going to different hospital whenever I have attack. I went to many hospital because I have asthma since I was a child.” SU01 “….and when I have attack I will go to Kanifing General Hospital and they will nebulize me and go home. It will take a month or three weeks it comes back again and go back to the hospital again.” SU05 “Sometimes will get back home and within 30 to 40 minutes will go back again to the hospital so my condition was not improving …” SU17 This was also reflected in the descriptions by health care workers of their experiences of treating asthma patients in the health system: “Like I said, like if you if you spend a week at our emergency department, you see the same faces come back forth.” HP04 “but when it comes to dealing with these patients, we manage them all the time - they keep going and coming [back] .” HP09 The limited supply and lack of inhaled medicine use means few patients experience the benefits of preventative treatment. This coupled with continued use of cheap oral SABA reinforces the perception of asthma as a recurrent acute illness. Discussion This study demonstrates that patients living with asthma in The Gambia have positive attitudes towards inhaler use. This is despite overarching reference to their continued lack of availability, on-going use of short-acting beta agonist tablets, and perceived harms of inhaled medicines circulating within communities. The patient views were supported by the experiences of most health care workers, in terms of their lay beliefs about harms, and health service use (i.e. recurrent hospitalisation for acute exacerbations of asthma). Both patients and health care workers focused on the acute nature of asthma and described repeated hospital attendances. This was due to limited supply and lack of use of inhaled medicines alongside continued use of cheap oral SABA. There was silence in the data on the part of patients in terms of awareness of inhaled corticosteroid use, the idea that hospital attendances could be avoidable, and that asthma is a long-term chronic condition. The cost of treating asthma episodically in a hospital setting rather than with inhaled corticosteroids delivered in the community is extremely high, both economically and, also in terms of the human cost with greater mortality rates likely to be seen.( 20 ) It is known that access to inhaled medicines is limited in LMIC settings with prohibitive cost implications in The Gambia.( 6 – 9 ) Previous international initiatives to improve access to inhaled medicines, such as the Union Asthma Drug Facility, have historically been unable to address this issue. One of the enduring challenges is that countries do not recognise the implications of not prioritising access to inhaled medicines for chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma.( 21 ) Without Ministry level recognition of this issue, efforts to improve access to inhaled medicines through simplified procurement mechanisms are likely to fail. This work demonstrates that despite significant contextual barriers, in a setting with very limited access to inhaled medicines, their value is still recognised by those living with asthma and the health care workers treating them. This suggests that policy change to make access to inhaled medicines for asthma as a priority would be well received, but there is also a need to normalise inhaler use and address socio-cultural barriers to use in parallel. There are some notable limitations to this study. Firstly, the patients and health care workers were predominantly from a secondary care setting and therefore represent a specific voice and highlight the embodied experiences of those already accessing conventional care in the public health system. Patients who access only community services or traditional medicine, without approaching a secondary care setting, were not captured here. These patients may have very different attitudes towards the use of inhaled medication. However, arguably patients accessing acute hospital-based care are likely to be those that are at the severe end of the asthma spectrum, and therefore face both a higher risk of complications, including death, and can be the most costly to treat. Therefore, understanding their perspectives on inhaler use is essential. Secondly, interviews were conducted in local languages and then transcribed into English. There will inevitably be potential for misinterpretation, to mitigate for this both interviewing and transcribing was conducted by multi-lingual Gambian experienced social scientists, bringing with them an in-depth understanding of the cultural context and local understanding of language used. Further research, including a more generalisable survey or economic modelling would assist in demonstrating cost implications and in-country gains from changes in policy and clinical practice in The Gambia, and given the overwhelming internationally available body of evidence for changing practice ( 10 , 11 , 14 , 15 , 20 , 22 – 26 ), this could be significant for this setting. This work advocates for health system change both locally in The Gambia, but also by illustrating an important issue relevant to other LMICs providing a local example. Conclusion This research highlights the lack of access to and persistence of lay beliefs about the harms of inhaled medicines for asthma. There is a pressing need for change to improve asthma care and a receptiveness to this from patients and health care workers. If Ministries of Health in LMICs prioritised affordable access to inhaled medicines for the treatment of asthma, they would have a significant impact on the lived experiences of people with asthma in terms of reduced morbidity and mortality. They would save lives and reduce avoidable repeated acute admissions which represent a huge cost to health systems. Ultimately increasing inhaler access has the potential to save lives but socio-cultural factors in addition to medication supply needs to be addressed. Declarations Funding: IPCRG small grant, Prof Kevin Mortimer Research Funds Author Contribution S.J., K.M., J.B. and S.T. contributed to the conception and design of the work. S.J., J.B., K.M., H.A., M.B., and A.C contributed to the acquisition of these data. S.J., J.B., H.A., M.B., A.C., R.C. and M.I contributed to the analysis and interpretation of these data. All authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript. Acknowledgement Dr Jobe Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Bakau CentreDr Sanyang, Kanifing General HospitalDr Forrest MRC The Gambia at LSHTM Clinical ServiceDr J Sutherland, MRC Unit The at LSHTM TB Research Clinic Data Availability These interview data that support the findings of this study are held by the University of Sheffield within a password protected repository and can be shared following a request to the corresponding author. References Vos T, Lim SS, Abbafati C, Abbas KM, Abbasi M, Abbasifard M, et al. Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet. 2020 Oct;396(10258):1204–22. Mortimer K, Lesosky M, García-Marcos L, Asher MI, Pearce N, Ellwood E, et al. The burden of asthma, hay fever and eczema in adults in 17 countries: GAN Phase I study. Eur Respir J. 2022 Sep;60(3):2102865. García-Marcos L, Asher MI, Pearce N, Ellwood E, Bissell K, Chiang CY, et al. The burden of asthma, hay fever and eczema in children in 25 countries: GAN Phase I study. Eur Respir J. 2022 Sep;60(3):2102866. Asher MI, Rutter CE, Bissell K, Chiang CY, El Sony A, Ellwood E, et al. Worldwide trends in the burden of asthma symptoms in school-aged children: Global Asthma Network Phase I cross-sectional study. The Lancet. 2021 Oct;398(10311):1569–80. The Global Asthma Report 2022. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2022 Nov 25;26(1):1–104. Stolbrink M, Ozoh OB, Halpin DMG, Nightingale R, Meghji J, Plum C, et al. Availability, cost and affordability of essential medicines for chronic respiratory diseases in low-income and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional study. Thorax. 2024 Jul;79(7):676–9. Stolbrink M, Chinouya MJ, Jayasooriya S, Nightingale R, Evans-Hill L, Allan K, et al. Improving access to affordable quality-assured inhaled medicines in low- and middle-income countries. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2022 Nov 1;26(11):1023–32. Stolbrink M, Thomson H, Hadfield RM, Ozoh OB, Nantanda R, Jayasooriya S, et al. The availability, cost, and affordability of essential medicines for asthma and COPD in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review. Lancet Glob Health. 2022 Oct;10(10):e1423–42. Sanyang B, Jagne E, Sefa N, Touray S. Availability, cost, and affordability of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medications in The Gambia. J Pan Afr Thorac Soc. 2021 Jan 23;2:33–41. GINA-2023-Full-report-23_07_06-WMS.pdf [Internet]. [cited 2024 Mar 2]. Available from: https://ginasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GINA-2023-Full-report-23_07_06-WMS.pdf Meghji J, Mortimer K, Agusti A, Allwood BW, Asher I, Bateman ED, et al. Improving lung health in low-income and middle-income countries: from challenges to solutions. The Lancet. 2021 Mar;397(10277):928–40. B I Awokola, G A Amusa, B O Adeniyi, E O Awokola, Obaseki. Asthma Medication Availability and Affordability in the Gambia: Preliminary Results from an Audit of Current Practice in Asthma Care. 2018 [cited 2024 Jul 2]; Available from: http://rgdoi.net/10.13140/RG.2.2.22049.51049 World Health Organization. Assessing national capacity for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: report of the 2019 global survey [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020 [cited 2024 Jul 2]. Available from: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/331452 Jayasooriya S, Stolbrink M, Khoo EM, Sunte IT, Awuru JI, Cohen M, et al. Clinical standards for the diagnosis and management of asthma in low- and middle-income countries. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2023 Sep 1;27(9):658–67. García-Marcos L, Chiang CY, Asher MI, Marks GB, El Sony A, Masekela R, et al. Asthma management and control in children, adolescents, and adults in 25 countries: a Global Asthma Network Phase I cross-sectional study. Lancet Glob Health. 2023 Feb;11(2):e218–28. Persaud PN, Tran AP, Messner D, Thornton JD, Williams D, Harper LJ, et al. Perception of burden of oral and inhaled corticosteroid adverse effects on asthma-specific quality of life. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2023 Dec;131(6):745-751.e11. Braun V, Clarke V. Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qual Res Sport Exerc Health. 2019 Aug 8;11(4):589–97. Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 2006 Jan;3(2):77–101. Jaiteh F, Dierickx S, Gryseels C, O’Neill S, D’Alessandro U, Scott S, et al. ‘Some anti-malarials are too strong for your body, they will harm you.’ Socio-cultural factors influencing pregnant women’s adherence to anti-malarial treatment in rural Gambia. Malar J. 2016 Dec;15(1):195. Paltiel AD, Fuhlbrigge AL, Kitch BT, Liljas B, Weiss ST, Neumann PJ, et al. Cost-effectiveness of inhaled corticosteroids in adults with mild-to-moderate asthma: Results from the Asthma Policy Model. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001 Jul;108(1):39-IN4. Chiang CY, Bissell K, Macé C, Perrin C, Marks G, Mortimer K, et al. The Asthma Drug Facility and the future management of asthma. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2022 May 1;26(5):388–91. Burney P, Potts J, Aït-Khaled N, Sepulveda RMD, Zidouni N, Benali R, et al. A multinational study of treatment failures in asthma management. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis Off J Int Union Tuberc Lung Dis. 2008 Jan;12(1):13–8. Menzies-Gow A, Bafadhel M, Busse WW, Casale TB, Kocks JWH, Pavord ID, et al. An expert consensus framework for asthma remission as a treatment goal. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020 Mar;145(3):757–65. Mortimer K, Kurtulus S, Yorgancıoğlu A, Romero-Tapia S de J, Singh N, Ahmed R, et al. Living with Asthma in Low- and Middle-Income Countries in the Six WHO Regions. NEJM Evid. 2024 Jan;3(1):EVIDpp2300292. Crossingham I, Turner S, Ramakrishnan S, Fries A, Gowell M, Yasmin F, et al. Combination fixed-dose beta agonist and steroid inhaler as required for adults or children with mild asthma. Cochrane Airways Group, editor. Cochrane Database Syst Rev [Internet]. 2021 May 4 [cited 2024 Apr 30];2021(5). Available from: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/14651858.CD013518.pub2 Mortimer K, Reddel HK, Pitrez PM, Bateman ED. Asthma management in low and middle income countries: case for change. Eur Respir J. 2022 Sep;60(3):2103179. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 17 Oct, 2024 Read the published version in npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 03 Sep, 2024 Reviews received at journal 02 Sep, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Aug, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Aug, 2024 Reviews received at journal 08 Aug, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 Aug, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 07 Aug, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 30 Jul, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 30 Jul, 2024 First submitted to journal 27 Jul, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4812015","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":343898898,"identity":"ecd6603f-a5f0-4b3b-90c8-1b54a97a199b","order_by":0,"name":"S Jayasooriya","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"University of Sheffield","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"S","middleName":"","lastName":"Jayasooriya","suffix":""},{"id":343898899,"identity":"b18d88b4-6763-4321-a588-8ce2a03d1475","order_by":1,"name":"M Inoue","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Sheffield","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"M","middleName":"","lastName":"Inoue","suffix":""},{"id":343898900,"identity":"1ecae6ad-8ba4-4951-92a0-fb2efe0422ba","order_by":2,"name":"H Allen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Medical Research Council at London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"H","middleName":"","lastName":"Allen","suffix":""},{"id":343898902,"identity":"d6a98d4e-46e0-4b47-882c-d76f9048c97c","order_by":3,"name":"M Bojang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Medical Research Council at London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"M","middleName":"","lastName":"Bojang","suffix":""},{"id":343898903,"identity":"eade11d2-afd8-44bd-b7db-523eddf53d7b","order_by":4,"name":"A Ceesay","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Medical Research Council at London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"A","middleName":"","lastName":"Ceesay","suffix":""},{"id":343898904,"identity":"23ffda7a-9edf-49b1-b193-33da4e762bf1","order_by":5,"name":"S Touray","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Permian Health Lung Institute","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"S","middleName":"","lastName":"Touray","suffix":""},{"id":343898906,"identity":"5881e7cd-9259-419f-aed3-e081454a45c0","order_by":6,"name":"R Cooper","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Sheffield","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"R","middleName":"","lastName":"Cooper","suffix":""},{"id":343898909,"identity":"27301bcc-babd-45f5-a344-460d063e0dbe","order_by":7,"name":"K Mortimer","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Cambridge","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"K","middleName":"","lastName":"Mortimer","suffix":""},{"id":343898913,"identity":"f6c6f1f4-c145-416d-b051-bec266409d71","order_by":8,"name":"J Balen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Canterbury Christ Church University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"J","middleName":"","lastName":"Balen","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-07-27 08:36:23","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4812015/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4812015/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41533-024-00390-x","type":"published","date":"2024-10-17T15:57:21+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":67148950,"identity":"5d5ae92a-ba52-4a28-81d4-79c0e1cb2215","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-10-21 16:10:14","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":378182,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4812015/v1/a33e5bbe-38de-48c1-8314-0f7e0a38a335.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Tensions surrounding the use of inhaled asthma medication in The Gambia: a qualitative study of asthma patients and health care workers","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eAsthma is one of the most common non-communicable diseases among adults and is estimated by the Global Burden of Disease (2019) to affect an estimated 262\u0026nbsp;million people globally.(\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR2 CR3\" citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e) The highest asthma related mortality is found in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e) Effective inhaled medicines for chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma are known to be both difficult to obtain and poorly utilised in sub Saharan Africa.(\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR7\" citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e) Data from The Gambia, West Africa, has highlighted the lack of affordable access to inhalers, with combination inhalers (corticosteroid and fast/long acting beta2 agonists e.g. budesonide and formoterol) being the least accessible.(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e) Combination inhalers are on the World Health Organisation (WHO) essential medicines list for the treatment of asthma and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) recommends as-needed combination low-dose inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol as a first step in asthma management, while recognising the importance of access to inhalers, adherence and inhaler technique.(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn most LMICs there is a lack of national guidance for asthma care, and diagnostic testing for asthma is not universally available.(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e) The limited access to WHO essentials medicines for asthma in countries such as The Gambia make the implementation of international asthma guidance and diagnostic testing a significant challenge.(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e) Coupled with the lack of accessibility to inhaled medicines for the effective treatment of asthma, in some LMICs, including The Gambia, there has been continued use of oral short-acting beta agonist (SABA) tablets.(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e) The continued use of oral SABA adds a further dimension of complexity when trying to implement appropriate guidance for asthma treatment. Clinical standards have been developed using a Delphi process by those working in LMIC settings to offer a pragmatic approach to asthma treatment specifically recognising settings where WHO essential medicines are unavailable.(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e) Alongside providing clinical standards for a pragmatic approach to asthma care, utilising available medications, it strongly advocates for wider system change to improve in country access to inhaled medicines.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eReasons for limited availability and use of inhalers is complex, not fully understood and relates to multiple levels and barriers within a health system.(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e) This includes the influence of service users\u0026rsquo; and health care workers\u0026rsquo; perceptions and experiences of an inhaled versus an oral medicine, which has been explored in relation to oral versus inhaled corticosteroids in a high-income setting, but to the best of our knowledge has not been explored in an LMIC setting.(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e) This study explores patients\u0026rsquo; and providers\u0026rsquo; perceptions and lived experiences of inhaled medicines for asthma care, which are in line with current GINA recommendations, in The Gambia, where there is limited access to inhaled medicines.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSetting and Recruitment:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis qualitative research study used purposive and snowball sampling to recruit participants from three health care facilities in The Gambia, namely, Kanifing General Hospital, Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital Bakau Centre (formally Ndemban Clinic) and the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at LSHTM Clinic (MRC Clinic). The MRC clinic is predominantly a research clinic and therefore health care workers from that facility were not recruited as they were not government sector employed. Eligible participants included patients, once clinically stable, with symptoms consistent with an acute exacerbation of asthma in the emergency departments and in-patient wards, and frontline health care workers within these facilities. Symptoms considered consistent with asthma were used in recognition of the limited access to respiratory diagnostic testing in The Gambia and hence many patients in this setting lack a formal diagnosis. The defining symptoms used were as per GINA guidance, shortness of breath, wheeze, chest tightness and cough, and patients were only approached if deemed appropriate by the clinical staff overseeing the sampling.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical approval was obtained from the Medical Research Council The Gambia at the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Ethics Committee Ref: 26173 and approved by the University of Sheffield Ethics Committee Ref: 709. All ethical standards and procedures were met, including processes for informed consent of study participants.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Collection and Analysis:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSemi-structured interviews were conducted between August and November 2022, by trained Gambian social scientists (H.A., M.B., and A.C.), in English, Wolof or Mandinka, as chosen by the participants. Prior to this research project H.A., M.B. and A.C had no personal experience of asthma within the Gambian health system. This enabled an open approach to interviewing with the participant as the central expert, but also had the potential to limit the depth of exploration. To mitigate for this basic training on asthma care, study processes and procedures was provided by S.J. with regular scheduled reflective meetings throughout the data collection period. A semi-structured topic guide was used to facilitate the interviews, and these were conducted until there were no new themes emerging. Interviews were recorded, and for the purpose of reporting they were anonymised and transcribed in English by experienced translators (M.B. and A.C.). All transcriptions were repeatedly read and re-read by S.J. and M.I to enable familiarisation with the data, and independently coded using NVivo v14 data management software. \u0026nbsp;After initial coding of interview data, initial themes were generated, which were then refined and finalised through discussions within the study team at regular intervals.\u0026nbsp;(17,18)\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eAll eligible health care workers agreed to participate in the study, and only one patient participant that was approached declined. A total of 20 patients, (12 females) and 15 health care providers (five nurses, five pharmacists and five doctors, 10 of which were male), were interviewed. All but three patients were recruited from Kanifing General Hospital and Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital Bakau Centre (formally Ndemban Clinic), the final three patients were recruited from the Medical Research Council Gambia Clinic at LSHTM in The Gambia. Health professionals were recruited from the two-government sector health care facilities, six from Kanifing General Hospital and nine from Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital Bakau Centre (formally Ndemban Clinic). \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePatients and providers, while positively recognising the benefits of inhaler use for asthma, expressed concern about the lack of access to inhaled medicines in The Gambian health system and felt this was a major problem. Both patients and providers had positive perceptions of inhaler use for asthma despite affordability and availability issues, and patient perceived harms from inhaler use. Patient experiences of inhaler use overwhelmingly focused on the use of inhaled SABA, as they had little or no experience of the use of inhaled corticosteroids for the treatment of asthma. The limited supply and lack of inhaled corticosteriod use meant few patients experienced the benefits of preventative treatment. Continued use of cheap oral SABA reinforced perceptions of asthma as a recurrent acute illness rather than a chronic condition that is life-long. The requirement for on-going asthma treatment and the ability to avoid acute attacks that require admissions was notably absent. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePoor availability and affordability affect prescribing and use of inhaled medicines\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePatients repeatedly echoed experiences of being unable to obtain inhaled medications both in the public sector and in private sector pharmacies:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;[\u0026hellip;] \u003cem\u003elet\u0026rsquo;s be frank to each other, public hospitals don\u0026rsquo;t have medications. When you go there you wouldn\u0026rsquo;t have medications because none of them have medications [\u0026hellip;]\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eSU08 \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;[\u0026hellip;]\u003cem\u003eYou know not everyone have the money to buy inhalers so if they give them the salbutamol pills they will take it and will not buy the inhaler\u003c/em\u003e.\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;[\u0026hellip;]\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eSU17\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat was very evident was that in contrast to the difficulties accessing inhalers, there was relatively easy access to SABA tablets, and these were often obtained from the public sector hospital: \u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;[\u0026hellip;] at the hospital they will prescribe salbutamol for me take one tablet three times a day [\u0026hellip;]\u0026rdquo; SU05\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe findings from patient interviews were mirrored in health professional interviews with many reflecting on the lack of availability of inhaled medicines even if prescribed: \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;[\u0026hellip;] all that I can say is they\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e[inhaled medicines]\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;are not available; for most they are not available.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e HP03\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;[\u0026hellip;] as I told you in the government sector, and you don\u0026apos;t have much in the supply chain with inhale medicines.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e HP10\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was a sense of futility and passive acceptance among health care workers, and they noted that their general prescribing behaviours were influenced by the availability of medicines. In many instances practitioners were driven towards the prescribing of SABA tablets due to a lack of access to inhalers in the public sector:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;We, like I said, we have the oral, oral medicines in our health system. So basically, I desperately use the oral medications instead of inhaled medicines.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e HP05 \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;For here, what we normally prescribe more, let\u0026apos;s say maybe 80% or more, is salbutamol tablets that that I\u0026apos;ve seen more.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eHP14\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerceived harms of inhaled medicines\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePatients and practitioners both described similar strongly held beliefs that they had encountered held by community members regarding the use of inhaled medicines. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;But when my husband asked me what did they give you, so I\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eshowed him, and he asked me not use the inhaler because I don\u0026rsquo;t have breathlessness frequently and if you get used to it, it might be a problem.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e SU20\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSocio-cultural factors have previously been shown to influence adherence to treatments in The Gambia. (19) The beliefs encountered reflected concerns about dependence and worsening of asthma symptoms due to treatment, combined with, in some instances, the fear of death if inhaled medication were used and subsequently became unavailable. These harms were felt to be widespread:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;.like if I am addicted to and if I don\u0026rsquo;t have it, I can die\u0026hellip; but some of the comments I receive from people, people are afraid of addictions, getting addicted to it and not getting it at the time of need so that is a concern people have. They are afraid of getting addicted to it.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e SU16\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHealth professionals also reported this belief among their patients\u0026hellip;.. \u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;So sometimes they have this notion that maybe I am going to die because I must use the inhaler. Someone told me that if you stop using inhaler you will die.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eHP01\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;.most patient will not use because they think it makes you glue to it and because you glue to it you don\u0026rsquo;t recovery and you tend to have it a habit, that\u0026rsquo;s one misconception of it.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eHP06\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, some patients directly challenged the circulating perceived harms based on their personal experiences of use of inhaled medicines. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;They said if one use it the person don\u0026rsquo;t recover from the illness but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t discourage me because each and every person know how one feels when sick. If the inhaler is helpful, the one using it knows about it. So those mere words don\u0026rsquo;t discourage me and there is someone with asthma who gave me his inhalers because he don\u0026rsquo;t use it.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e SU12 \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Many people do tell me not to get so used to the inhaler but I am still using it because it makes me feel relief.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eSU13\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePositive perceptions of asthma inhalers over tablets\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the lack of access to inhaled medicines and persistent negative lay beliefs said to be circulating in the community, patients and practitioners had positive perceptions of inhaled medicines for the treatment of asthma. This was apparent from the descriptions patients made directly comparing tablets and inhalers: \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;..the inhaler\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e[is] \u003cem\u003equicker to feel relief than the pills.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eSU02\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;The inhaler\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e[is]\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e[more] \u003cem\u003equick reliever than the tablets because if I take the tablets I do feel relief but it takes time.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u0026nbsp; SU05\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;.when you have attack and have the inhaler with you, you just use it and feel relief\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eSU18 \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll health care workers interviewed had positive attitudes towards inhaler use and recognised their value.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;It (inhaler) works much better than oral. Because they are giving at a point of action where they need to act\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eHP06\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHealth care workers did describe a reluctance around the prescribing of inhalers, as they are harder to source and pay for in addition to circulating beliefs around their addictive potential and risk of death. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;but if they are not available patients have to buy it from outside which is an obstacle \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;because some of them cannot afford it\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eHP07 \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAsthma as an acute and not chronic condition leading to recurrent hospitalisation\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was a relative absence of the role of prevention in asthma and the dominant discourse was that this was an acute condition and, because of this, a view that hospital management was the most appropriate way to treat asthma. Only two health care workers reflected on their experiences of the use of inhaled corticosteroid, with one reflecting on how a lack of availability reinforces patients limited awareness of the need for it: \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Once they\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e[patients] \u003cem\u003estart these, these daily, like inhaled corticosteroid, the difference\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e[is]\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;remarkable\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003c/em\u003e\u0026hellip;\u0026hellip;\u003cem\u003eso basically, the mainstay of treatment is inhaled corticosteroids. For many years, it\u0026apos;s not been available, so\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e[patients], \u003cem\u003ethey\u0026apos;re not aware of it.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e HP04 \u003cu\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerhaps not surprisingly given the lack of access, the use of inhaled corticosteroids was a notable omission from patients\u0026rsquo; narratives and those of most health care workers. Asthma was overwhelmingly described by patients as an acute illness of repeated attacks, and there was no reference in patient narratives to it being a long-term chronic condition. Moreover, the acute perception of asthma led to the dominance of the hospital being the most appropriate health setting to manage asthma:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;I have been going to different hospital whenever I have attack. I went to many \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;hospital because I have asthma since I was a child.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e SU01\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;.and when I have attack I will go to Kanifing General Hospital and they will \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;nebulize me and go home. It will take a month or three weeks it comes back again \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;and go back to the hospital again.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eSU05\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Sometimes will get back home and within 30 to 40 minutes will go back again to the hospital so my condition was not improving\u003c/em\u003e\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; SU17\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was also reflected in the descriptions by health care workers of their experiences of treating asthma patients in the health system:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;Like I said, like if you if you spend a week at our emergency department, you see the same faces come back forth.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e HP04\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;but when it comes to dealing with these patients, we manage them all the time - they keep going and coming\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e[back]\u003cem\u003e.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e HP09 \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe limited supply and lack of inhaled medicine use means few patients experience the benefits of preventative treatment. This coupled with continued use of cheap oral SABA reinforces the perception of asthma as a recurrent acute illness. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study demonstrates that patients living with asthma in The Gambia have positive attitudes towards inhaler use. This is despite overarching reference to their continued lack of availability, on-going use of short-acting beta agonist tablets, and perceived harms of inhaled medicines circulating within communities. The patient views were supported by the experiences of most health care workers, in terms of their lay beliefs about harms, and health service use (i.e. recurrent hospitalisation for acute exacerbations of asthma).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBoth patients and health care workers focused on the acute nature of asthma and described repeated hospital attendances. This was due to limited supply and lack of use of inhaled medicines alongside continued use of cheap oral SABA. There was silence in the data on the part of patients in terms of awareness of inhaled corticosteroid use, the idea that hospital attendances could be avoidable, and that asthma is a long-term chronic condition. The cost of treating asthma episodically in a hospital setting rather than with inhaled corticosteroids delivered in the community is extremely high, both economically and, also in terms of the human cost with greater mortality rates likely to be seen.(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is known that access to inhaled medicines is limited in LMIC settings with prohibitive cost implications in The Gambia.(\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR7 CR8\" citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e) Previous international initiatives to improve access to inhaled medicines, such as the Union Asthma Drug Facility, have historically been unable to address this issue. One of the enduring challenges is that countries do not recognise the implications of not prioritising access to inhaled medicines for chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma.(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e) Without Ministry level recognition of this issue, efforts to improve access to inhaled medicines through simplified procurement mechanisms are likely to fail. This work demonstrates that despite significant contextual barriers, in a setting with very limited access to inhaled medicines, their value is still recognised by those living with asthma and the health care workers treating them. This suggests that policy change to make access to inhaled medicines for asthma as a priority would be well received, but there is also a need to normalise inhaler use and address socio-cultural barriers to use in parallel.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere are some notable limitations to this study. Firstly, the patients and health care workers were predominantly from a secondary care setting and therefore represent a specific voice and highlight the embodied experiences of those already accessing conventional care in the public health system. Patients who access only community services or traditional medicine, without approaching a secondary care setting, were not captured here. These patients may have very different attitudes towards the use of inhaled medication. However, arguably patients accessing acute hospital-based care are likely to be those that are at the severe end of the asthma spectrum, and therefore face both a higher risk of complications, including death, and can be the most costly to treat. Therefore, understanding their perspectives on inhaler use is essential. Secondly, interviews were conducted in local languages and then transcribed into English. There will inevitably be potential for misinterpretation, to mitigate for this both interviewing and transcribing was conducted by multi-lingual Gambian experienced social scientists, bringing with them an in-depth understanding of the cultural context and local understanding of language used.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurther research, including a more generalisable survey or economic modelling would assist in demonstrating cost implications and in-country gains from changes in policy and clinical practice in The Gambia, and given the overwhelming internationally available body of evidence for changing practice (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR23 CR24 CR25\" citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e), this could be significant for this setting. This work advocates for health system change both locally in The Gambia, but also by illustrating an important issue relevant to other LMICs providing a local example.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis research highlights the lack of access to and persistence of lay beliefs about the harms of inhaled medicines for asthma. There is a pressing need for change to improve asthma care and a receptiveness to this from patients and health care workers. If Ministries of Health in LMICs prioritised affordable access to inhaled medicines for the treatment of asthma, they would have a significant impact on the lived experiences of people with asthma in terms of reduced morbidity and mortality. They would save lives and reduce avoidable repeated acute admissions which represent a huge cost to health systems. Ultimately increasing inhaler access has the potential to save lives but socio-cultural factors in addition to medication supply needs to be addressed.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eFunding:\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIPCRG small grant, Prof Kevin Mortimer Research Funds\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eS.J., K.M., J.B. and S.T. contributed to the conception and design of the work. S.J., J.B., K.M., H.A., M.B., and A.C contributed to the acquisition of these data. S.J., J.B., H.A., M.B., A.C., R.C. and M.I contributed to the analysis and interpretation of these data. All authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr Jobe Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Bakau CentreDr Sanyang, Kanifing General HospitalDr Forrest MRC The Gambia at LSHTM Clinical ServiceDr J Sutherland, MRC Unit The at LSHTM TB Research Clinic\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese interview data that support the findings of this study are held by the University of Sheffield within a password protected repository and can be shared following a request to the corresponding author.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVos T, Lim SS, Abbafati C, Abbas KM, Abbasi M, Abbasifard M, et al. Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990\u0026ndash;2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The Lancet. 2020 Oct;396(10258):1204\u0026ndash;22. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMortimer K, Lesosky M, Garc\u0026iacute;a-Marcos L, Asher MI, Pearce N, Ellwood E, et al. The burden of asthma, hay fever and eczema in adults in 17 countries: GAN Phase I study. Eur Respir J. 2022 Sep;60(3):2102865. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGarc\u0026iacute;a-Marcos L, Asher MI, Pearce N, Ellwood E, Bissell K, Chiang CY, et al. The burden of asthma, hay fever and eczema in children in 25 countries: GAN Phase I study. Eur Respir J. 2022 Sep;60(3):2102866. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAsher MI, Rutter CE, Bissell K, Chiang CY, El Sony A, Ellwood E, et al. Worldwide trends in the burden of asthma symptoms in school-aged children: Global Asthma Network Phase I cross-sectional study. The Lancet. 2021 Oct;398(10311):1569\u0026ndash;80. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Global Asthma Report 2022. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2022 Nov 25;26(1):1\u0026ndash;104. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStolbrink M, Ozoh OB, Halpin DMG, Nightingale R, Meghji J, Plum C, et al. Availability, cost and affordability of essential medicines for chronic respiratory diseases in low-income and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional study. Thorax. 2024 Jul;79(7):676\u0026ndash;9. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStolbrink M, Chinouya MJ, Jayasooriya S, Nightingale R, Evans-Hill L, Allan K, et al. Improving access to affordable quality-assured inhaled medicines in low- and middle-income countries. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2022 Nov 1;26(11):1023\u0026ndash;32. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStolbrink M, Thomson H, Hadfield RM, Ozoh OB, Nantanda R, Jayasooriya S, et al. The availability, cost, and affordability of essential medicines for asthma and COPD in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review. Lancet Glob Health. 2022 Oct;10(10):e1423\u0026ndash;42. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSanyang B, Jagne E, Sefa N, Touray S. Availability, cost, and affordability of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medications in The Gambia. J Pan Afr Thorac Soc. 2021 Jan 23;2:33\u0026ndash;41. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGINA-2023-Full-report-23_07_06-WMS.pdf [Internet]. [cited 2024 Mar 2]. Available from: https://ginasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GINA-2023-Full-report-23_07_06-WMS.pdf\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeghji J, Mortimer K, Agusti A, Allwood BW, Asher I, Bateman ED, et al. Improving lung health in low-income and middle-income countries: from challenges to solutions. The Lancet. 2021 Mar;397(10277):928\u0026ndash;40. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eB I Awokola, G A Amusa, B O Adeniyi, E O Awokola, Obaseki. Asthma Medication Availability and Affordability in the Gambia: Preliminary Results from an Audit of Current Practice in Asthma Care. 2018 [cited 2024 Jul 2]; Available from: http://rgdoi.net/10.13140/RG.2.2.22049.51049\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorld Health Organization. Assessing national capacity for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: report of the 2019 global survey [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020 [cited 2024 Jul 2]. Available from: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/331452\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJayasooriya S, Stolbrink M, Khoo EM, Sunte IT, Awuru JI, Cohen M, et al. Clinical standards for the diagnosis and management of asthma in low- and middle-income countries. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2023 Sep 1;27(9):658\u0026ndash;67. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGarc\u0026iacute;a-Marcos L, Chiang CY, Asher MI, Marks GB, El Sony A, Masekela R, et al. Asthma management and control in children, adolescents, and adults in 25 countries: a Global Asthma Network Phase I cross-sectional study. Lancet Glob Health. 2023 Feb;11(2):e218\u0026ndash;28. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePersaud PN, Tran AP, Messner D, Thornton JD, Williams D, Harper LJ, et al. Perception of burden of oral and inhaled corticosteroid adverse effects on asthma-specific quality of life. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2023 Dec;131(6):745-751.e11. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBraun V, Clarke V. Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qual Res Sport Exerc Health. 2019 Aug 8;11(4):589\u0026ndash;97. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBraun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 2006 Jan;3(2):77\u0026ndash;101. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJaiteh F, Dierickx S, Gryseels C, O\u0026rsquo;Neill S, D\u0026rsquo;Alessandro U, Scott S, et al. \u0026lsquo;Some anti-malarials are too strong for your body, they will harm you.\u0026rsquo; Socio-cultural factors influencing pregnant women\u0026rsquo;s adherence to anti-malarial treatment in rural Gambia. Malar J. 2016 Dec;15(1):195. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePaltiel AD, Fuhlbrigge AL, Kitch BT, Liljas B, Weiss ST, Neumann PJ, et al. Cost-effectiveness of inhaled corticosteroids in adults with mild-to-moderate asthma: Results from the Asthma Policy Model. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001 Jul;108(1):39-IN4. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChiang CY, Bissell K, Mac\u0026eacute; C, Perrin C, Marks G, Mortimer K, et al. The Asthma Drug Facility and the future management of asthma. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2022 May 1;26(5):388\u0026ndash;91. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBurney P, Potts J, A\u0026iuml;t-Khaled N, Sepulveda RMD, Zidouni N, Benali R, et al. A multinational study of treatment failures in asthma management. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis Off J Int Union Tuberc Lung Dis. 2008 Jan;12(1):13\u0026ndash;8. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMenzies-Gow A, Bafadhel M, Busse WW, Casale TB, Kocks JWH, Pavord ID, et al. An expert consensus framework for asthma remission as a treatment goal. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020 Mar;145(3):757\u0026ndash;65. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMortimer K, Kurtulus S, Yorgancıoğlu A, Romero-Tapia S de J, Singh N, Ahmed R, et al. Living with Asthma in Low- and Middle-Income Countries in the Six WHO Regions. NEJM Evid. 2024 Jan;3(1):EVIDpp2300292. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCrossingham I, Turner S, Ramakrishnan S, Fries A, Gowell M, Yasmin F, et al. Combination fixed-dose beta agonist and steroid inhaler as required for adults or children with mild asthma. Cochrane Airways Group, editor. Cochrane Database Syst Rev [Internet]. 2021 May 4 [cited 2024 Apr 30];2021(5). Available from: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/14651858.CD013518.pub2\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMortimer K, Reddel HK, Pitrez PM, Bateman ED. Asthma management in low and middle income countries: case for change. Eur Respir J. 2022 Sep;60(3):2103179. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"npj-primary-care-respiratory-medicine","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"npjpcrm","sideBox":"Learn more about [npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine](https://www.nature.com/npjpcrm/)","snPcode":"41533","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41533/3","title":"npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"NPJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4812015/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4812015/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntroduction:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAsthma-related mortality is high in low- and middle-income countries. Little is known about public perceptions of inhaled medicines.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe conducted semi-structured interviews with asthma patients and health care workers at three public health facilities in The Gambia, between August and November 2022. Thematic analysis was used to interpret these data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA total of 20 patients and 15 health care workers were interviewed. Both groups felt limited access to inhalers was a significant issue resulting in continued use of oral medications. While some patients recognised the benefits of inhaler use, beliefs that inhalers were dangerous were common. Reliance on oral short-acting beta agonists meant patients saw asthma as a recurrent acute condition resulting in an emphasis on hospital management with little awareness of inhaled preventative medicines.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiscussion:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIncreasing access to inhaled medicines has the potential to save lives but socio-cultural factors in addition to medication supply need addressing.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Tensions surrounding the use of inhaled asthma medication in The Gambia: a qualitative study of asthma patients and health care workers","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-08-27 04:09:56","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4812015/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2024-09-03T04:10:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-09-02T05:40:10+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"72570109811122990252255092266501990187","date":"2024-08-14T23:07:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"199977251003826410852678855164727116828","date":"2024-08-14T09:44:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-08-08T09:18:14+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"106052881062105185481286281507519066705","date":"2024-08-08T08:20:25+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2024-08-08T00:53:45+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-07-31T00:25:14+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2024-07-31T00:25:12+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine","date":"2024-07-27T08:32:57+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"npj-primary-care-respiratory-medicine","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"npjpcrm","sideBox":"Learn more about [npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine](https://www.nature.com/npjpcrm/)","snPcode":"41533","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41533/3","title":"npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"NPJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"275b3b9f-0117-48cf-b742-ed4b23e069ff","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 27th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":36445727,"name":"Health sciences/Diseases/Respiratory tract diseases/Asthma"},{"id":36445728,"name":"Health sciences/Health care"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-10-21T16:01:21+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4812015","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41533-024-00390-x","journal":{"identity":"npj-primary-care-respiratory-medicine","isVorOnly":false,"title":"npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine"},"publishedOn":"2024-10-17 15:57:21","publishedOnDateReadable":"October 17th, 2024"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-08-27 04:09:56","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41533-024-00390-x","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41533-024-00390-x","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4812015","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4812015","identity":"rs-4812015","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}