Asghar Meerza

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The scale of non-adherence to inhaled corticosteroids is a widespread issue, where it is estimated that 50% of asthma patients are non-adherent to their inhalation therapy. Patients with poor adherence are at greater risk of severe asthma attacks, and are therefore more likely to require unscheduled medical contacts such as emergency hospital visits.

The main objective of this research project is to develop a decision modelling framework to inform the relationship between asthma medication adherence and unscheduled medical contacts. This health economic model will incorporate varying levels of adherence as health states, as well as clinical events, NHS resource use and quality of life measures.

The purpose of this model is to simulate the effects of interventions that are designed to improve medication adherence in patients with asthma. Consequently, this will enable the identification of interventions that are cost-effective in achieving full adherence, thus informing decision makers about interventions which should be implemented in the future.

About me

Following the completion of my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences King’s College London, my interest in socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare provision led me to pursue a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) at Imperial College London. In September 2022, I joined the University of Sheffield as a PhD student as part of the Wellcome Trust DTC in Public Health Economics and Decision Science (PHEDs) programme.

Acknowledgements

This research is funded by University of Sheffield as part of the Wellcome Trust Public Health Economics PhD programme.