Table 2 List of activities implemented by AIRWAYS ICPs

1

Proposing a common framework of care pathways for chronic respiratory diseases to facilitate comparability and trans-national initiatives, and plans targeted to all populations according to culture, health systems and income

A repository is under development (PROEIPAHA) and the GARD strategy for adaptation to cultural beliefs and barriers is used [6]

2

Developing a strategy for low and middle-income settings

AIRWAYS ICPs uses existing WHO programmes such as the WHO GARD, WHO PEN, the essential list of drugs [5, 13, 14] and management plans already successfully tested in low and middle-income countries [13, 15, 16]

3

Aiding risk stratification in chronic disease patients with a common strategy

A common risk stratification strategy for all chronic diseases is available [17–19]

4

Defining important questions on chronic respiratory diseases in the elderly

Questions on asthma-COPD and rhinitis have been examined using a Delphi process (in preparation)

5

Developing integrated care pathways for chronic respiratory diseases and their comorbidities, with a specific focus on the elderly

Developing ICPs for chronic respiratory diseases and their comorbidities, with a specific focus on the elderly [20–25]

Building a sentinel network for asthma and other allergic diseases [26]

6

Tackling chronic diseases across the life cycle

Chronic respiratory diseases occur along the life cycle and they should be prevented, diagnosed and managed early to promote AHA [7, 8, 10, 27]

7

Interacting with frailty in chronic respiratory disease (EIP on AHA Action Plan A3) and defining active and healthy ageing

Frailty is associated with chronic diseases and chronic respiratory disease. It is important to consider frailty in the management of chronic respiratory disease and to use an operational definition of AHA [28–33]

8

Implementing emerging technologies for individualised and predictive medicine in accordance with guidelines proposed by the European Commission (https://www.casym.eu)

MASK (MACVIA–ARIA Sentinel NetworK) uses emerging technologies to develop a management strategy of rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity. It is available in 15 European countries [26, 34]

9

Having a significant impact on the health of citizens in the short term (reduction of morbidity, improvement of education in children and of work in adults), the long-term (AHA), and in the development of health promotion

Asthma and COPD national plans are cost-efficient. Some have been scaled up successfully [35]

New hypotheses concerning the development of allergy have been recently proposed. They may lead to novel prevention strategies [36, 37]

10

Educational activities

Educational activities are part of any scaling up strategy

11

Stratification of health systems in Europe and beyond (EIP on AHA Action Plan A3, AA4-B3)

DG Connect has initiated this project (Wouter, submitted)