What Providers Need to Know About Uncontrolled Asthma
Welcome to the latest episode of the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Innovations podcast. In this episode, we address how healthcare providers identify uncontrolled asthma. What can they do to recognize it earlier, treat it better, and prevent their patients from ending up in the emergency department?
Co-hosts Kortney and Payel Gupta, MD, a board-certified allergist and immunologist, are joined by Cherie Zachary, M.D., President of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI). Together, they talk about tools that healthcare providers use to help identify uncontrolled asthma.
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Listen to Uncontrolled Asthma for Providers Podcast
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Thank you to Sanofi-Regeneron for supporting this episode.
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Any mention of brands is also informational and not an endorsement. Always consult with your healthcare provider for any medical questions or concerns.
Key Takeaways About Uncontrolled Asthma
Too many people with asthma are living with symptoms they accept as normal. Healthcare providers play a key role in changing that, but it starts with asking the right questions every single appointment.
- Despite better therapies, the number of asthma-related deaths has not changed for years. Dr. Zachary explains why change is needed in how providers screen and treat their patients.
- An ER visit means treatment has failed. If a patient ends up in urgent care or the emergency department, that is a sign that their current treatment plan is not working and should be reassessed right away.
- Five questions every provider should ask. There is a standardized set of asthma control questions covering corticosteroid use, ER visits, quick-relief inhaler use, nighttime symptoms, and daily activity limitations. A yes to any one of them means something needs to change.
- Patients adapt without realizing it. They move their bedroom downstairs, they stop going to the gym, and they park closer to the door. Providers need to ask probing questions to uncover the ways asthma is quietly limiting their patients’ lives.
- Some patients are at higher risk. Black and Puerto Rican Americans, Black women, and children are more likely to have uncontrolled asthma. Providers should create space for open, non-judgmental conversations with these groups.
Episode Timestamps for Uncontrolled Asthma Podcast
01:47 — Why uncontrolled asthma matters
03:11 — Defining uncontrolled asthma
05:30 — What providers are missing
07:55 — Consistent asthma language
10:30 — Why uncontrolled asthma is dangerous
14:50 — Treatment failure explained
16:40 — Asthma control questions
20:02 — Waxing and waning asthma
26:15 — Integrated healthcare systems
29:16 — Five asthma control questions
32:17 — People who are at higher risk for asthma
33:35 — Reaching communities that are underserved
