Work on the GINA revision by members of the GINA Science Committee and Dissemination and
Implementation Committee began in 2012.
An over-arching aim was to substantially restructure the report in order to facilitate its implementation in clinical practice, while maintaining the existing strong evidence base.
Recognising that key images and tables in the report would have the greatest impact, we began by soliciting broad input on three areas: the definition of asthma, assessment of asthma control, and control-based management.
Members of the multinational GINA Assembly, primary care clinicians,respiratory specialists and other expert advisers were asked to provide feedback about existing GINA materials on these topics, with regard to their evidence, clarity and feasibility for implementation in clinical practice, and to identify other sections in need of substantial revision.
Over 50 responses were received. Following this initial scoping process, the report text was revised, and new figures and tables drafted to communicate key clinical messages; new evidence from the routine twice-yearly review of new research by the Science Committee in 2012–13 was also incorporated, and a chapter providing interim clinical advice about the asthma−COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) was developed in collaboration with the Science Committee of the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD; www.goldcopd.org)Importantly, the clinical relevance of recommendations, and strategies for their implementation, were considered in parallel with the review of scientific evidence.