Tobacco smoking is the world’s leading cause of premature death and disability. Global targets to reduce premature deaths by 25% by 2025 will require a substantial increase in the number of smokers making a quit attempt, and a significant improvement in the success rates of those attempts in low, middle and high income countries. In many countries the only place where the majority of smokers can access support to quit is primary care. There is strong evidence of cost-effective interventions in primary care yet many opportunities to put these into practice are missed. This paper revises the approach proposed by the International Primary Care Respiratory Group published in 2008 in this journal to reflect important new evidence and the global variation in primary-care experience and knowledge of smoking cessation. Specific for primary care, that advocates for a holistic, bio-psycho-social approach to most problems, the starting point is to approach tobacco dependence as an eminently treatable condition. We offer a hierarchy of interventions depending on time and available resources. We present an equitable approach to behavioural and drug interventions. This includes an update to the evidence on behaviour change, gender difference, comparative information on numbers needed to treat, drug safety and availability of drugs, including the relatively cheap drug cytisine, and a summary of new approaches such as harm reduction. This paper also extends the guidance on special populations such as people with long-term conditions including tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease, pregnant women, children and adolescents, and people with serious mental illness. We use expert clinical opinion where the research evidence is insufficient or inconclusive. The paper describes trends in the use of waterpipes and cannabis smoking and offers guidance to primary-care clinicians on what to do faced with uncertain evidence. Throughout, it recognises that clinical decisions should be tailored to the individual’s circumstances and attitudes and be influenced by the availability and affordability of drugs and specialist services. Finally it argues that the role of the International Primary Care Respiratory Group is to improve the confidence as well as the competence of primary care and, therefore, makes recommendations about clinical education and evaluation. We also advocate for an update to the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines to optimise each primary-care intervention. This International Primary Care Respiratory Group statement has been endorsed by the Member Organisations of World Organization of Family Doctors Europe.

SummaryThe substantial majority of patients with asthma can expect minimal breakthrough symptoms on standard doses of inhaled corticosteroids with or without additional add-on therapies. SIMPLES is a structured primary care approach to the review of a person with uncontrolled asthma which encompasses patient education monitoring, lifestyle and pharmacological management and addressing support needs which will achieve control in most patients. The small group of patients presenting with persistent asthma symptoms despite being prescribed high levels of treatment are often referred to as having 'difficult asthma'. Some will have difficult, 'therapy resistant' asthma, some will have psychosocial problems which make it difficult for them to achieve asthma control and some may prove to have an alternative diagnosis driving their symptoms. A few patients will benefit from referral to a 'difficult asthma' clinic. The SIMPLES approach, aligned with close co-operation between primary and specialist care, can identify this patient group, avoid inappropriate escalation of treatment, and streamline clinical assessment and management.

A way forward for clinicians while we streamline the guideline process

BackgroundThe diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is confirmed with spirometry demonstrating persistent airflow obstruction.AimTo evaluate the clinical characteristics and management of patients in primary care on COPD registers with spirometry incompatible with COPD.Design and settingA primary care audit of Welsh COPD Read-Coded patient data from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) COPD register in Wales.MethodPatients on the QOF COPD register with incompatible spirometry (post-bronchodilator forced expiratory lung volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity [FEV1/FVC] ratio ≥0.70) were compared with those with compatible spirometry (FEV1/FVC <0.70).ResultsThis audit included 63% of Welsh practices contributing 48 105 patients. Only 19% (n = 8957) of patients were post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC Read-Coded and were included in this study. Of these, 75% (n = 6702) had compatible spirometry and 25% (n = 2255) did not. Patients with incompatible spirometry were more likely female (P = 0.009), never-smokers (P<0.001), had higher body mass index (P<0.001), and better mean FEV1 (P<0.001). Medical Research Council (MRC) breathlessness scores, exacerbation frequency, and asthma co-diagnosis were similar between groups. Patients in both groups were just as likely to receive inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs), but patients with incompatible spirometry were less likely to receive long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) (P<0.001) or LABA/ICS (P = 0.002) combinations.ConclusionPatients on the COPD QOF register with spirometry incompatible with COPD are symptomatic and managed using significant resources. If quality of care and effective resource use are to be improved, focus must be given to correct diagnosis in this group.

Breathlessness is a common symptom that may have multiple causes in any one individual and causes that may change over time. Breathlessness campaigns encourage people to see their General Practitioner if they are unduly breathless. Members of the London Respiratory Network collaborated to develop a tool that would encourage a holistic approach to breathlessness, which was applicable both at the time of diagnosis and during ongoing management. This has led to the development of the aide memoire “Breathing SPACE”, which encompasses five key themes—smoking, pulmonary disease, anxiety/psychosocial factors, cardiac disease, and exercise/fitness. A particular concern was to ensure that high-value interventions (smoking cessation and exercise interventions) are prioritised across the life-course and throughout the course of disease management. The approach is relevant both to well people and in those with an underling diagnosis or diagnoses. The inclusion of anxiety draws attention to the importance of mental health issues. Parity of esteem requires the physical health problems of people with mental illness to be addressed. The SPACE mnemonic also addresses the problem of underdiagnosis of heart disease in people with lung disease and vice versa, as well as the systematic undertreatment of these conditions where they do co-occur.