AIR Therapy is the Future of Asthma Care
AIR Therapy is the Future of Asthma Care
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Anti-inflammatory reliever (AIR) therapy comprises the use an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) in conjunction with each dose of fast-acting beta-2 agonist (albuterol or formoterol).
AIR therapy represents the future of asthma management by offering a proactive approach that targets inflammation—the root cause of asthma—rather than just treating symptoms. AIR therapy helps patients achieve better long-term control and fewer exacerbations.
Overusing Short-Acting Beta-Agonist (SABA) inhalers and oral corticosteroids is linked to worse asthma outcomes, including more frequent attacks and long-term side effects. AIR therapy helps reduce the need for both by focusing on consistent, anti-inflammatory treatment that keeps asthma stable day-to-day. Bringing AIR therapy into clinics and educating patients about how it works is key to improving care, improving patient outcomes, reducing hospital visits resulting from exacerbations, and helping people manage their asthma more safely and effectively.
Interested in earning MOC IV and MIPS credit while improving asthma care?
Interested in earning MOC IV and MIPS credit while improving asthma care?
Join our quality improvement project on increasing the use of AIR therapy in clinical practice. It's a great opportunity to enhance patient outcomes, streamline treatment approaches, and receive MOC IV and MIPS credit for making a meaningful impact in asthma management.
Participants in this activity are eligible for Part IV Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credit for most member Boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), including:
American Board of Emergency Medicine - ONE PI Activity
American Board of Family Medicine - ONE Improvement in Medical Practice Module
American Board of Internal Medicine - 30 Practice Assessment Points
Activity Timeline
Activity Timeline
This MOC Part IV activity will occur November 2025 - Mar 2027.
From Process to Practice:
From Process to Practice:
Increasing AIR Therapy Use Through Quality Improvement
Increasing AIR Therapy Use Through Quality Improvement
Quality Improvement (QI) programs are valuable in clinical practice because they provide an opportunity to pause and evaluate whether patients are receiving the best possible care. They encourage reflection on current practices, help ensure practices stay up to date with the latest knowledge and treatment guidelines, and identify changes that can improve patient outcomes.
Implementing a QI process focused on increasing the use of AIR therapy can enhance treatment options and improve outcomes for patients with asthma.
Jump Start Your QI Project
Jump Start Your QI Project
To jumpstart your QI program, learn more about the importance of implementing AIR therapy and hear from fellow clinicians about their experiences! Click here to view discussions between Dr. Njira L. Lugogo, Director of the Asthma Program at Michigan Medicine and her guests and claim up to 2 hours of CME credit!
ABOUT DR. LUGOGO
Njira L. Lugogo, MD, MS, Professor of Internal Medicine, is the University of Michigan Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine's Asthma Program Director and Program Director of the INHALE Collaborative Quality Initiative with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Dr. Lugogo completed her Medical Degree at the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, VA. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. After she completed her Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at Duke University, she rose to Assistant Professor.
At Duke, Dr. Lugogo served as the Medical Director of the Duke Asthma Allergy and Airway Center and Director of the Asthma Clinical Trails Group and Pulmonary Clinical Research Unit. She joined the University of Michigan Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine faculty August, 2017.
Project Goals
Project Goals
Select a project goal below, develop a Quality Improvement (QI) project based on that goal, and use the toolkit to guide project planning, implementation, and evaluation.
View the MOC IV Activity Summary Sheet for full descriptions of all project goals.
Toolkit
Toolkit
Use the below tools and resources to enrich education, equip patients with valuable information, and strengthen your clinical practice.
QI Process and Development
QI Process and Development
Mayo Clinic video presented by Dr. Ramon Cancino, M.D. discussing the PDSA cycle and its use in rapid continuous quality improvement.
🔗IHI Quality Improvement Essentials Toolkit
Toolkit for QI projects developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).
Worksheet developed by INHALE CQI for developing and tracking your PDSA cycle.
🔗INHALE PDSA Worksheet Instructions
Instructions for completing the INHALE CQI PDSA Worksheet
🔗INHALE PDSA Example Worksheet
Example of a completed INHALE CQI PDSA worksheet.
INHALE is a Collaborative Quality Initiative (CQI), funded by BCBSM, dedicated to improving health outcomes and quality of care for adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and adults and children with asthma. Learn more about INHALE here.
🔗Reduce SABA Overprescribing: EMR Integration Guide
Guide for integrating tools into the EPIC EMR that may aid in reducing the overprescribing of albuterol inhalers.
Clinical Guidelines and Protocols
Clinical Guidelines and Protocols
Tool for implementing guidances and expert reports in practice.
🔗AIRQ - Asthma Impairment and Risk Questionnaire
Patient assessment tool intended to help identify adult patients whose health may be at risk because of uncontrolled asthma.
Calculator for predicting patient survival curve based on average number of OCS prescriptions per year and comorbid conditions.
🔗Respiratory Treatments - English
2025 respiratory treatments poster developed by the Allergy and Asthma Network.
🔗Respiratory Treatments - Spanish
2025 respiratory treatments poster developed by the Allergy and Asthma Network.
2025 GINA summary guide for asthma management and prevention.
🔗SMART/MART and AIR Prescribing Guide
SMART/MART and AIR prescribing guide developed by INHALE CQI.
SMART Step Guide for pediatric and adult populations.
🔗How to Use Your AIRSUPRA® Inhaler for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory Reliver (AIR) Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using AIRSUPRA® inhaler for AIR therapy.
🔗How to Use Your Albuterol Inhaler for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory (AIR) Reliever Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using albuterol inhaler for AIR therapy.
🔗How to Use Your Alvesco® Inhaler for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory Reliver (AIR) Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using Alvesco® inhaler for AIR therapy.
🔗How to Use Your Asmanex® HFA Inhaler for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory Reliver (AIR) Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using Asmanex® HFA inhaler for AIR therapy.
🔗How to Use Your Asmanex® Twisthaler® Inhaler for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory Reliver (AIR) Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using Asmanex® Twisthaler® inhaler for AIR therapy.
🔗How to Use Your Breyna™ Inhaler for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory Reliver (AIR) Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using Breyna™ inhaler for AIR therapy.
🔗How to Use Your Dulera® Inhaler for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory Reliever (AIR) Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using Dulera® inhaler for AIR therapy.
🔗How to Use Your Fluticasone Diskus® for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory Reliever (AIR) Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using Fluticasone Diskus® inhaler for AIR therapy.
🔗How to Use Your Fluticasone Propionate Inhaler for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory Reliver (AIR) Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using fluticasone propionate inhaler for AIR therapy.
🔗How to Use Your Pulmicort® Flexhaler™ Inhaler for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory Reliver (AIR) Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using Pulmicort® Flexhaler™ inhaler for AIR therapy.
🔗How to Use Your QVAR RediHaler® Inhaler for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory Reliver (AIR) Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using QVAR RediHaler® inhaler for AIR therapy.
🔗How to Use Your Symbicort® Inhaler for Asthma Anti-Inflammatory Reliver (AIR) Therapy
Michigan Medicine Care Guide on using Symbicort® inhaler for AIR therapy.
Provider Education
Provider Education
BATURA
LaForce, C. et al. | Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Volume 133, Issue 6, S3
DENALI
🔗Albuterol-Budesonide Pressurized Metered Dose Inhaler in Patient with Mild-to-Moderate Asthma
Chipps, B. et al. | CHEST Journal, Volume 164, Issue 3 P585-595
MANDALA
🔗Albuterol–Budesonide Fixed-Dose Combination Rescue Inhaler for Asthma
Papi, A. et al. | The New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 386, No. 22
PREPARE
🔗Reliever-Triggered Inhaled Glucocorticoid in Black and Latinx Adults with Asthma
Israel, E. et al | The New Englands Journal of Medicine, Volume 386, No. 16
🔗Oral steroid usage increased across U.S, Taiwan and Denmark in past decade
Article from Michigan Medicine Health Lab describing increased use of oral steroids for treatment of acute respiratory infections.
Article from Michigan Medicine Health Lab describing risks of short-term steroid use.
🔗OCS Use in Asthma Is Associated with Adverse Events
Infographics from the ADVENT program detailing adverse outcomes of OCS overuse for asthma.
Infographic from OCS Overexposed: Thinking Beyond the Burst national education campaign.
🔗What’s Changed in Asthma Treatment? Quite a Bit
Medscape video from family medicine physician Dr. Neil Skolnik, M.D. reviewing changes to essential asthma treatments under the latest GINA guidelines.
🔗SMART Therapy and Other Patient Centered Approaches Towards Asthma Management
Allergy & Asthma Network webinar presented by allergist and immunologist Dr. Angela Duff Hogan, M.D. discussing SMART and AIR therapy, and other asthma management strategies.
🔗Is It Time to Embrace OCS Stewardship in Asthma and COPD?
INHALE CQI video presented by pulmonologist Dr. Njira L. Lugogo, M.D. discussing OCS sparing and stewardship in asthma and COPD.
Patient Education and Resources
Patient Education and Resources
🔗What is SMART Therapy for Asthma?
Allergy & Asthma Network webpage detailing SMART therapy.
🔗SMART and AIR Asthma Action Plan - Adult
Asthma action plan for SMART and AIR therapy for patients 18 years of age and older.
🔗SMART and AIR Asthma Action Plan - Pediatric
Asthma action plan for SMART and AIR therapy for patients aged 6-17 years.
Assessment tool designed to help patients determine if they are relying too much on their reliever inhaler.
🔗OCS Overexposed Conversation Starter
Patient discussion guide for OCS overuse developed by OCS Overexposed: Thinking Beyond the Burst national education campaign.
Flyer from Michigan Medicine outlining AIR Therapy
🔗Side Effects of Steroids for Asthma
Flyer from Michigan Medicine outlining side effects of steroids for asthma.
Infographic from INHALE CQI detailing effects of OCS and SABA overuse.
🔗How Asthma and Inhalers Affect Oral Health
Flyer from Michigan Medicine outlining the effects of inhalers on oral health.
Video from Michigan Medicine outlining AIR therapy.
Video from Michigan Medicine detailing oral steroid use for asthma.
🔗How Asthma and Inhalers Affect Oral Health
Video from Michigan Medicine outlining the effects of inhalers on oral health.
🔗What If I Can’t Afford My Asthma Medication?
Allergy & Asthma Network resource page for affording asthma medications.
🔗Formulary Help and Medication Savings Cards
INHALE CQI medication access resources.
🔗AstraZeneca Affordability Programs
Financial assistance programs and offerings for AstraZeneca medications. AIRSUPRA, Symbicort.
Savings card for BREYNA inhaler.
🔗Viatris Patient Assistance Program
Financial assistance program for Viatris medications. BREYNA.
Savings card for DULERA inhaler.
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