[Cost-utility study of a high-resolution consultation (CARE-A) for the treatment of asthma exacerbations].

Introduction: High-resolution consultations (CARE-A) are an efficient tool for reducing the costs associated with the treatment and follow-up of patients with bronchial asthma, who also benefit from specialized care. These consultations see patients who have required emergency care in hospitals or health centers within less than a week, diagnosing asthma and initiating follow-up in the specialized consultation. Our objective was to assess the efficiency of CARE-A care for asthma patients, quantifying the economic impact one year after initial care and the clinical improvement in patients. Material and methods: A pre-post quasi-experimental study analyzing clinical, functional, and inflammatory data, as well as resource utilization, in asthma patients treated at CARE-A at baseline and one year later. Results: We included 108 patients over the age of 18 with an estimated average expenditure at the start of the study of €1,583.5 ± 2.8, which was reduced to €851.71 ± 3.3 one year after receiving care at CARE-A. Patients also showed improvements in the ACT (asthma control test) (from 14.3 ± 5.9 to 17.9 ± 5.4), FEV1 (from 2.35 ± 1.09 to 2.65 ± 1.3), as well as a 20% improvement in treatment adherence tests. There was a reduction in the costs of resources used, as well as in the medication needed to control asthma. Conclusion: The high-resolution consultation has proven useful in improving control.