Severe Asthma Virtual Practice: Clinical Phenotypes and the Emerging Age of Personalized Therapy

Up to 10% of asthma patients have severe, treatment-resistant disease that is associated with a greater incidence of emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and other high-risk outcomes. Often, these patients are only responsive to corticosteroid treatment when it is given at very high doses, which over time can lead to type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, dyspeptic disorders, and cataracts. The FDA’s approval of several new tailored biologic therapies offers promise to a subset of patients with severe asthma, though identifying the asthma phenotypes (ie, eosinophilic and noneosinophilic) for which these new agents are most appropriate remains a key factor of their successful use.

In this Virtual Practice, you will confront a variety of clinical severe asthma scenarios similar to those you are likely to encounter in practice.

Clinical Callout presents patient vignettes that end at a critical clinical decision point: you assess the symptoms, risk factors, and medical histories and choose the most appropriate next step from several possible clinical strategies. But be careful: only one option reflects current best practice! Answers are discussed and supported with information from the current evidence base.

In the Exam Rooms you will serve as a consultant, observing as the Virtual Practice doctor meets with patients with severe asthma and providing your clinical judgment on the best strategies for ensuring a successful outcome.

Also featured in the Virtual Practice is the Resource Library, which houses downloadable content such as practice tools, resources discussed in the Clinical Callout and Exam Rooms, and patient-directed educational resources.