Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in the lungs. People with asthma typically experience difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing (a whistling sound produced in the airways during breathing), sputum (mucus) production, and/or cough. These symptoms can be episodic or persistent.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in Canada. In Ontario, it is estimated that nearly 2.5 million people were living with asthma in 2022/23. It is estimated that 50% of people with asthma in Canada have uncontrolled disease, resulting in unnecessary reductions in quality of life and avoidable illness and deaths. Uncontrolled asthma also contributes to high health care use and costs. Among people aged 15 years and older in Ontario in 2022/23, there were over 16,000 asthma-specific emergency department visits and over 8,000 asthma-specific hospitalizations. These data highlight opportunities for improving the management of asthma in primary care and community-based care settings.

This quality standard addresses the diagnosis and management of asthma in adults 16 years of age and older, with a focus on primary care and community-based settings. It addresses referral to specialized asthma care for adults who meet criteria for severe asthma, but it does not address the management of severe asthma in specialized care, acute asthma exacerbations, or care provided during emergency department visits or hospitalizations.

A separate quality standard addresses asthma in children and adolescents.