Patient-reported humanistic burden of pulmonary exacerbations among individuals with bronchiectasis in Europe

Purpose This study describes the patient-reported humanistic burden of pulmonary exacerbations (PEx) in individuals with bronchiectasis. Methods Data were from the Adelphi Real World Bronchiectasis Disease Specific Programme, a cross-sectional survey conducted September 2024 – March 2025 of pulmonologists and primary care physicians (managing≥5 individuals with bronchiectasis/month) and individuals under their care (aged≥18 years) diagnosed with bronchiectasis (without cystic fibrosis) conducted in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK (all countries included a consecutively consulting sample and oversample for patients with≥2 PEx in past year). Physicians completed patient record forms and the same consenting patients completed patient reported outcome (PRO) instruments: Short-Form 6 Dimension (SF-6D), Quality of Life Questionnaire – Bronchiectasis (QOL-B), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI). PROs were stratified by PEx frequency (0–1 or≥2 in the past year) with numerical differences reported. Results In total, 117 physicians completed 785 patient record forms, and 321 individuals with bronchiectasis filled out self-completion forms. Individuals with bronchiectasis reported impairments in health-related quality of life (HRQOL), mental health, and work and activity ([ Fig. 1 ]). Individuals with bronchiectasis with≥2 PEx had poorer HRQOL vs those with 0–1 PEx according to SF-6D index score (mean [SD] 0.6 [0.3] vs 0.8 [0.2]) and QOL-B domain scores including physical functioning, vitality, emotional functioning, health perceptions, and respiratory symptoms. A higher proportion with≥2 PEx, vs 0–1 PEx, had mild to severe HADS severity scores (83.0% vs 66.1%); with the majority having mild or moderate severity scores. Individuals with bronchiectasis reported work and activity impairment, which was greater in those with≥2 PEx vs 0–1 PEx (work: 37.0% vs 26.9%; activity: 51.3% vs 33.4%). Conclusions Individuals with bronchiectasis experienced impairments in HRQOL, mental health, and work and activity. These impairments were greater in those with≥2 PEx than in those with 0–1 PEx in the past year, highlighting the humanistic burden associated with PEx. Fig. 1 Publication History Article published online: 04 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany