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The Asthma Quality improvement Project Template
The Asthma Quality Improvement Project Template has been designed to support you in implementing change using the PDSA Cycle1.
PDSA Cycle
The PDSA cycle is part of the ‘model for improvement’ within the NHS which provides a framework for developing, testing and implementing changes leading to improvement. It is based in scientific method and moderates the impulse to take immediate action with the wisdom of careful study.
Using PDSA cycles enables you to test your changes on a small scale, building on the learning from these test cycles in a structured way before wholesale implementation. This gives stakeholders the opportunity to see if the proposed change will succeed and is a powerful tool for learning from ideas that do and don’t work. This way, the process of change is safer and less disruptive for patients and staff.1
Unmet need: Why the asthma quality improvement project?
Asthma represents a significant burden in primary care, and the updated BTS/NICE/SIGN guideline for asthma (NG245)2 delivered guidance for change to reduce SABA (short-acting beta-2 agonists) over-reliance in asthma.
Did you know?
Approximately twice as many exacerbations occur in patients who are prescribed ≥3 SABAs/ year vs 0–2 SABAs/year.3*
38% of asthma patients are still prescribed ≥3 SABAs/year.3
SABAs represent 70%** of the total carbon footprint of inhaler devices in the UK.4
*A retrospective longitudinal observation study (n=574,913) where data was pooled from primary care, hospital and mortality records (CPRD, HES and ONS) from 2007–2017.1
**862,685 tonnes of CO2[equivalent] annually.
BTS/NICE/SIGN [NG245] Guideline - Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management includes
The guideline covers diagnosis, monitoring and managing asthma in adults and young people. It aims to improve the accuracy of diagnosis, help people to control their asthma and reduce the risk of asthma attacks. It does not cover managing severe asthma or acute asthma attacks. Please see a link to the full guideline below.
Explore the BTS/NICE/SIGN asthma guideline and guidance for managing PDSA cycles from NHS England and NHS Improvement
Full BTS, NICE SIGN [NG245] Guideline for asthma patients 12+ on asthma diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management
BTS, NICE and SIGN [NG245] Algorithm C: Pharmacological management of asthma in people aged 12 years and over
Discover more guidance on the PDSA cycle from NHS England and NHS Improvement1
SABA, Short-acting beta-2 agonists; NICE, National Institute of Health and Care Excellence; BTS, BritishThoracic Society; SIGN, Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network
- NHS England and NHS Improvement: Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles and the model for improvement (n.d.). Available at: https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-pdsa-cycles-model-for-improvement.pdf (Accessed: November 2025).
- © BTS, NICE and SIGN 2024. Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management [NG245]. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng245 [Accessed November 2025].
- Bloom CI, et al. Adv Ther. 2020;37(10):4190–4208. 4. Wilkinson AJK, et al. Thorax. BTS Oral Abstract No. S26.2021;76:A19
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