A Breath of Fresh Air!! Updates in Asthma and COPD in Primary Care

Respirology (Lungs & Breathing), Primary Care / Family Medicine

To address the significant health and economic burden of asthma and COPD and the added complexity smoking brings to their management, we developed a webinar series for healthcare providers in primary care. This initiative builds on our previous work and feedback from Breathe Easy: Choosing the right lung test for the right patient, with an aim to equip providers with the latest evidence-based approaches to screening, management, and referral.

Led by Dr. Mohit Bhutani, Professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta, the series integrated real-world insights from primary care through Dr. Katherine (Kasia) Malczyk and behavioral strategies for smoking cessation presented by clinical psychologist Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley. Aggregate data from the Northern Alberta Primary Care Research Network (NAPCReN) on patients’ smoking status provided local context, and each session included a Pearls for Practice summary to support clinical reflection and continuous improvement. All 331 registrants received session recordings and supporting materials, which remain available online to support flexible, asynchronous learning.

This learning series provides primary care providers with up to date clinical guidance, practical tools, and localized data for more effective management of asthma and COPD and improved patient outcomes.