Update on asthma combination therapy to air May 20
April 17, 2008A new Rural Health Education Foundation television program airing on Tuesday 20th May, Balancing the Benefits: Asthma and Combination Therapy Update, outlines the best practice use of asthma combination therapies, including the appropriate selection of medications and different management regimens, in the context of latest research.
Balancing the Benefits covers recent advances in combination therapy medication that are changing the way some modern medications are used, and reinforces learning outcomes in a clinical setting via case studies. The program is sponsored by National Asthma Council Australia, with funding from an unrestricted educational grant from AstraZeneca.
“We’ve seen important advances in asthma combination therapies since the Foundation last covered this topic three years ago with the National Asthma Council,” says Rural Health Education Foundation CEO Don Perlgut. “This new program will further enable medical and health professionals to identify and assess people with asthma who may benefit from combination medication, and enhance their ability to educate patients about dosage, side effects and other issues.”
Live program featuring an expert panel
The format of Balancing the Benefits: Asthma and Combination Therapy Update is a live panel discussion led by Dr Norman Swan and featuring leading medical practitioners including Associate Professor Matthew Peters, a Respiratory Physician at the University of Sydney’s Concord Clinical School; and Ms Judy Wicking, a Melbourne-based Asthma Educator with the National Asthma Council Australia.
Broadcast details
The hour-long program will be broadcast live across the Rural Health Education Foundation’s satellite television network on Tuesday 20th May at 8pm (AEST), with repeats at 8.00pm Perth time that same evening (two hours later) and 12.30pm on Friday 23rd May.
Available on DVD, video and the web
About asthma and combination therapy
There are more than two million Australians suffering from asthma. Since 2000 many people living with asthma have experienced a change in the way their asthma is managed. Long-Acting ß2-Agonists (LABA), combined with traditional inhaled corticosteroids are resulting in effective management of asthma symptoms with lower quantities of medication.
More information
For more information on the program - including presenter details, access instructions and associated educational resources - visit the program page or contact the Foundation.