OBJECTIVES: Patient support programs (PSPs) offer services that can improve adherence to therapy and have been shown to benefit patients with chronic conditions. We aimed to understand the diversity of services offered by PSPs for patients with severe asthma (SA) treated with biologic therapies.

METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review using the Embase, Medline, and Cochrane databases starting from 2003, the year of approval of the first biologic for SA, up to 2022.

RESULTS: Fifteen studies describing full, structured PSPs for patients treated with biologics for SA were selected out of 3024 records.

Frequently reported PSP services were patient training on medication administration (supporting biologic self-administration in six studies from the UK, Germany, the US, and Australia) and education on the importance of treatment adherence (two studies from the UK and South America). A more structured multidisciplinary approach was described in one study from South America among children with SA treated with various therapies, including biologic therapy. This program offered frequent visits, provision of free medication, physical therapy, and educational activities on environmental control. Four studies highlighted the usefulness of telecommunication for monitoring, training, and collection of patient-reported outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS: These variations may reflect the context in which the PSPs were created, owing to the perceived gaps in patient care within the local setting, such as knowledge gaps or difficulties in transitioning to self-administration at home. However, similarities among the PSPs, particularly education and training, also illustrate an indirect consensus on solving gaps in patient care. Further studies quantifying the impact of PSPs may demonstrate whether these elements do address those disparities.