Optimizing Asthma Outcomes: Difficult-to-Treat and Severe Asthma in Primary Care Podcast
Summary
In this episode, Dr. Skolnick and Dr. Sherman address recent advances in asthma treatment which allow for greater individualization of therapy, particularly for patients with difficult-to-treat and severe asthma. Available therapies are highly effective for asthma management, yet for a number of reasons, in practice, asthma is often not optimally controlled. This podcast will help clinicians recognize how to identify asthma phenotypes to guide therapeutic decision making, incorporate the most recent GINA guidelines into practice, and identify patients with moderate to severe asthma that require more aggressive care, including biologic therapy.
This podcast was recorded and is being used with the permission of the presenters.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:
- Recognize different phenotypes, asthma severity, and modifiable and non-modifiable factors that contribute to poor asthma control in order to make personalized treatment decisions
- Select guideline-directed therapy and patient management strategies, including referral when appropriate, based on individualized characteristics in patients with difficult-to-treat or severe asthma
Speaker
Neil Skolnik, MD
Professor of Family and Community Medicine
Sidney Kimmel Medical College
Thomas Jefferson University
Associate Director
Family Medicine Residency Program
Abington Jefferson Health
Philadelphia, PA
Moderator
Gregg Sherman, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Course Director
National Association for Continuing Education
Plantation, FL
Contributing Faculty
Njira Lugogo, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
Asthma Program Director
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
Planning Committee
Sandy Bihlmeyer, MEd
Senior Project Manager
National Association for Continuing Education
Plantation, FL
Michelle Frisch, MPH
Vice President, Operations
National Association for Continuing Education
Plantation, FL
Angela Golden, DNP, FNP-C, FAANP
Family Nurse Practitioner
NP Obesity Treatment Clinic
NP from Home, LLC
Assistant Professor (Ret), Northern Arizona University
Past President, American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Munds Park, AZ
Joshua F. Kilbridge
President and Creative Director
Kilbridge Associates
San Francisco, CA
Sheila Lucas, CWEP
Activity Director
National Association for Continuing Education
Plantation, FL
Gregg Sherman, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Course Director
National Association for Continuing Education
Plantation, FL
Nicholas Zittell, CHCP
Director of Content Development
National Association for Continuing Education
Plantation, FL
NACE Accreditation and Designation Statements
NACE Accreditation Statement
The National Association for Continuing Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
NACE Credit Designation Statement
The National Association for Continuing Education designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Accreditation Statement – AANP Provider
National Association for Continuing Education is accredited by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners as an approved provider of nurse practitioner continuing education. Provider number: 121222. This activity is approved for 0.25 contact hours (which includes 0 hours of pharmacology).

For additional information about the accreditation of this program, please contact NACE at info@naceonline.com.
How to obtain the CME Certificate
- Register for the course at naceonline.com.
- View the content.
- Complete and submit the post-test and evaluation.
- A minimum passing score of 65% must be earned on the post-test in order to complete the CME activity.
- Print your CME certificate.
Policy on Faculty and Provider Disclosure
Accredited education provided by the National Association for Continuing Education (NACE) must demonstrate balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor. All individuals in a position to influence content of NACE accredited education, are required to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies within the previous 24-month period, regardless of relevance to the education. All relevant financial relationships and potential conflicts of interest have been mitigated.
NACE defines ineligible companies as those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
Angela Golden has disclosed the following financial relationships:
- Speaker: Novo Nordisk
- Consultant: Acella Pharmaceuticals, Scynexis, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical, Gelesis
- Advisory Board: Acella Pharmaceuticals, Scynexis, Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical, Gelesis, Currax
Njira Lugogo has disclosed the following financial relationships:
- Consultant: AstraZeneca, TEVA
- Advisor: AstraZeneca, TEVA, Genentech, Regeneron/Sanofi, GSK, Novartis
- Contracted Research: AstraZeneca, TEVA, Genentech, Regeneron/Sanofi, GSK, Janssen, Avillion, Gossamer
Neil Skolnik has disclosed the following financial relationships:
- Advisory Board: AstraZeneca, Teva, Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Sanofi, Sanofi Pasteur, GSK, Bayer
- Speaker: AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Lilly, GSK, Bayer
- Contracted Research: Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Bayer
All relevant financial relationships and potential conflicts of interest have been mitigated.
Faculty, planners, and moderators for this educational activity not listed in the Summary of Individual Disclosures above have no relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
Disclosure of Unlabeled/Investigational Uses of Products
The content of the presentations may include discussion of unapproved or investigational uses of product or devices.
Disclosure of Commercial Support
This activity is supported by an independent medical education grant from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc and Sanofi Genzyme.