Leading asthma expert, researcher and author of specialist studies from the University of Edinburgh, Dr Andrew Greening held an informative and interactive session for general practitioners as well as specialists. The crux of Professor Greening's talk to the general physicians, titled "Asthma Management Today and Tomorrow," was the achievement of 'guideline defined control.'
Referring particularly to Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines, this session looked at assessing current control and the clinical data of various therapies and their patient outcomes. Considering advances in asthma management, key emphasis were laid on the fact that the patients can control their asthma, "live an unrestricted life" and have normal activities. He called upon the doctors to consider management of asthma and related diseases in a manner that helps patients avoid getting into any condition necessitating "acute healthcare expenses" a balance needs to be achieved between the cost and healthy living.
Presenting graphic data from the Gaining Optimal Asthma Control (GOAL) study, the asthma expert invited participants to consider and weigh alternate treatment options for better patient outcomes - classifying three levels of asthma control as total control, well controlled, and not well controlled.
Following on, specialists in asthma and related areas attended the second presentation 'The Big Picture in COPD Disease Progression'. In addition to being president-elect of the British Thoracic Society, Professor Greening is an active member of the European Respiratory Society and the American Thoracic Society, and former President of Scottish Thoracic Society.-PR