Release Date: August 2005
Expiration Date: August 31, 2006

NEEDS STATEMENT
Asthma affects up to 15 million people and accounts for 500,000 hospitalizations each year. In 1997, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) published guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. The objectives were to provide information on how to assess the severity of asthma, discuss the pharmacologic therapies available to manage symptoms, and encourage patient compliance.

Despite the detail of these recommendations, asthma remains undertreated. In 2002, the NAEPP guidelines were updated to address shortcomings in managing symptoms. Asthma is a variable disease, and as a consequence of environmental control measures, patients may experience mild or moderate symptoms at different times, so that the accurate diagnosis of asthma poses a challenge. Some obstacles encountered in the treatment of patients with asthma include the variability of the disease, the difficulty of assessing severity, and poor patient self-management. An understanding of the guidelines will bridge the gap between knowledge and practice, allowing physicians to address patient compliance.

ACCREDITATION STATEMENTS
Physician: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of AKH Inc. and McMahon Publishing Group. AKH Inc. is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. AKH Inc. designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 category 1 credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent in the activity.

Physician Assistant: The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts category 1 CME approval from organizations accredited by the ACCME to grant category 1 credits toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. AKH Inc. designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA category 1 credit.

Pharmacy: AKH Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This program has been assigned the ACPE Universal Program Number 077-999-05-026-H01 and is acceptable for 1.0 contact hour (0.1CEU) in states that recognize ACPE-approved providers.

Nurse: This educational activity for 1.2 contact hours (0.12 CEU) is provided by AKH Inc., which is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education in by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

1. Review the NAEPP guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma.
2. Identify the factors that should be evaluated when asthma severity is assessed and therapy is monitored.
3. Explain the course of therapy used to manage adult and adolescent patients with mild to moderate symptoms of asthma.
4. Discuss current treatment strategies for the long-term management of asthma with inhaled corticosteroids.

TARGET AUDIENCE
This activity is intended for physicians, physician assistants, pharmacists, and nurses involved or interested in the treatment of patients with suspected or documented asthma.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
AKH Inc. and its shareholders have no significant financial relationships with the manufacturers of medical or pharmaceutical products. It is the policy of AKH Inc. to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its continuing education activities. The faculty must disclose to the participants any significant relationships with the commercial companies whose products or devices may be mentioned in the monograph or with the commercial supporter of this continuing education activity. The information is for participant information only; it is not assumed that these relationships will have a negative impact on the content of the activity.

FACULTY
Anthony D'Urzo, MD, MSc, CCFP
Director, Primary Care Lung Clinic
Toronto, Ontario
Assistant Professor
Department of Family and Community Medicine
University of Toronto
Dr. D'Urzo discloses reciept of consulting fees and honoraria from Allana Pharma, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, and Schering-Plough.

Matthew Mintz, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Primary Care Clerkship
George Washington University School of Medicine
Washington, DC
Dr. Mintz discloses receipt of honoraria for participation in the speakers' bureaus of AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, and consulting fees from AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer.

MEDICAL WRITER
Sarah Smith
Ms. Smith has disclosed no relevant financial relationships, interests, or affiliations.

DISCLOSURE OF UNLABELED USE
This educational activity contains discussion of published and/or investigational uses of beclomethasone dipropionate, budenoside, flunisolide, fluticasone propionate, triamcinolone acetonide, mometasone furoate, ciclesonide, and omalizumab for the treatment of asthma. Some uses of these agents have not been approved by the FDA. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

ESTIMATED TIME OF COMPLETION
This activity should take approximately 60 minutes to complete.

METHOD OF PARTICIPATION
There are no fees for participating and receiving credit for this activity. The participant should, in order, read the objectives and monograph, answer the multiple-choice online post-test and complete the registration and evaluation form. The evaluation form provides each participant with the opportunity to comment on the quality of the instructional process, the perception of enhanced professional effectiveness, the perception of commercial bias, and his/her views on future educational needs. A score of at least 70% is required to receive credit for this course. One retake is allowed. This credit is valid through August 31, 2006.

DISCLAIMER
This course is designed solely to provide the healthcare professional with information to assist in his/her practice and professional development and is not to be considered a diagnostic tool to replace professional advice or treatment. The course serves as a general guide to the healthcare professional and therefore cannot be considered as giving legal, nursing, medical, or other professional advice in specific cases. AKH Inc., the authors, and the publisher specifically disclaim responsibility for any adverse consequences resulting directly or indirectly from information in the course, undetected error, or the reader's misunderstanding of the course.

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
Internet Explorer (v5.5 or greater) or Netscape (v7.02 or greater)
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Internet Explorer not supported on the Macintosh.
Microsoft Windows 98 SE or above.

Jointly sponsored by AKH Inc. and McMahon Publishing Group.

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