Course Overview

DSM-401: Asthma: Approaches in Disease Management (3 Credits)
Program(s): CMR

COURSE CONSULTANTS

SECOND EDITION

Jeffrey M. Drazen, MD
Parker B. Francis Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Chief, Pulmonary Division
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts

THIRD, FOURTH, AND FIFTH EDITIONS:

Zab Mosenifar, MD, FACP, FCCP
Professor and Executive Vice Chairman, Department of Medicine

Director, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Cedars Sinai Medical Center, University of California
UCLA School of Medicine
Los Angeles, California

Karen J. Tietze, PharmD
Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Graduate Supplement
BUS-5401
To earn graduate-level credit, DSM-401 and an additional supplement must be successfully completed.

Click here for more information about graduate-level credit.

Who Should Take This Course:
Sales representatives and managers who interact with healthcare providers who treat asthma patients, such as primary care physicians, respiratory therapists, allergists, pharmacists, and others, healthcare organization professionals and administrators, and those with an interest in the comprehensive management of this disease.

Career Applications/Benefits:
Many healthcare organizations today are turning to clinical practice guidelines and comprehensive asthma management programs as a means to improve overall asthma care and reduce rising costs. This provides an opportunity for pharmaceutical sales, since drug therapy is often the primary treatment modality in effective asthma management programs. In some cases, pharmaceutical companies are partnering with healthcare organizations to develop and implement these programs. This course will benefit those in pharmaceutical companies that develop or market asthma products. The information provided in the course will help sales representatives and others with an interest in the management of the disease understand basic concepts and key issues in asthma treatment and management so that they can knowledgeably discuss these subjects with healthcare professionals.

Course Description:
This course provides an in-depth understanding of asthma management as it is approached from a disease management perspective. The course begins with an overview of the disease, including its epidemiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Next, treatment guidelines that have been developed for distinct asthmatic populations are discussed. The course then reviews some of the ways providers have incorporated practice guidelines into their organizations and applied them in comprehensive asthma management programs. The course concludes with a description of the important role that the pharmaceutical industry can play in the development and implementation of asthma management programs.

Related Courses:

Disease Management
Introduction to Pharmacology
The Managed Healthcare Market
Outcomes: Measurement, Management, and Marketing
Respiratory System

Course Content:
Chapter 1: Overview of Asthma
	Disease Profile The Respiratory System and the Pathophysiology of Asthma Causes of Asthma Attacks Epidemiology of Asthma Diagnosis of Asthma Pharmacologic Treatment of Asthma Nonpharmacologic Treatment of Asthma Impact of Asthma
Chapter 2: Approaches to Asthma Management
	Rationale for Guideline Development General Guidelines for Asthma Management Specific Severity-Based Guidelines for Asthma Management Special Considerations
Chapter 3: Asthma Management Applications in Healthcare
	Rationale for Asthma Management Key Elements of Asthma Management Programs Existing Asthma Management Programs Role of the Pharmacist in Asthma Management Case Studies
Chapter 4: Role of the Pharmaceutical Industry in Asthma Management
	Relationships with Healthcare Systems Disease Management Services Role of the Healthcare Representative

Learning Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to discuss the causes, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of asthma; describe the guidelines used to treat mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent, and severe persistent asthma; describe the rationale and application of asthma disease management programs in healthcare organizations; and discuss the important role that the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare representative can play in the development of asthma management programs.