CAPHI's Summary of the NAEPP Asthma Guidelines 2007

EPR-3 represents the first comprehensive update in a decade of clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. The new guidelines emphasize that while asthma can be controlled, the condition can change over time and differs among individuals and by age groups. The guidelines highlight the importance of regularly monitoring the patient's level of asthma control, so that treatment can be adjusted as needed. EPR-3 characterizes the NAEPP’s ongoing effort to keep recommendations for clinical practice up-to-date and is based upon a systematic review of the best available scientific evidence by a panel of experts, as well as peer review and critique by the collective expertise of external research/science consultants, guidelines implementation specialists, and public comment.

Recognizing that a summary of EPR-3 would be an important resource for California clinicians to support optimal diagnosis and management of asthma, the California Asthma Public Health Initiative (CAPHI) in the California Department of Public Health has produced a new resource entitled “Summary of the NAEPP’s EPR-3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.” This summary of the new guidelines is designed to assist the clinician in the diagnosis and management of asthma and has been reviewed and approved by health care providers in CAPHI’s Improving Asthma Control Collaborative and by national asthma experts.