The Wessex AsThma CoHort (WATCH) difficult asthma study; integrating research into the clinic

The WATCH Study is a longitudinal study of patients under the Difficult Asthma Clinic at University Hospital Southampton, UK. To create a better real life understanding of difficult asthma (British Thoracic Society (BTS) step 4/5), a process of clinical dataset compilation, meeting clinical and research needs, was adopted. One objective was to trial feasibility of longitudinal data collection in a large outpatient clinic cohort. Other aims included; a) Merging research and clinical objectives; meeting needs of the BTS Difficult Asthma registry plus data collation needed for research purposes b) Ensuring all eligible patients have the opportunity to participate in research, current and future. c) Gathering all relevant clinical data to support clinical phenotyping d) Ensuring data was collected in a time efficient manner Number of patients recruited to date (175). Recruitment rate (18.2 per month). Total recruitment failures; due to lack of asthma severity (10). Number declining participation (8). Number withdrawn (1) (no reason given). Using a method combining clinical and research services to collect longitudinal data from this large cohort of patients attending the Difficult Asthma clinic was feasible and successful. The majority of patients approached were consented, participated and stayed in the study.