Asthma Yardstick: Practical recommendations for a sustained step-up in asthma therapy for poorly controlled asthma

Current asthma guidelines recommend a control-based approach to management that involves assessment of impairment and risk followed by implementation of treatment strategies individualized according to the patient's needs and preferences. The fact that many patients still experience severe symptoms that negatively affect quality of life suggests that asthma control remains an objective to be achieved. Tools are available to help patients (and families) manage the day-to-day and short-term variability in asthma symptoms; however, when and how to implement a sustained step-up in therapy is less clear. The Asthma Yardstick is a comprehensive update on how to conduct a sustained step-up in asthma therapy for the patient with not well-controlled or poorly controlled asthma. Patient profiles and step-up strategies are based on current guidelines, newer data, and the authors' combined clinical experience and are intended to provide a practical and clinically meaningful guide toward the goal of well-controlled asthma for every patient. The development of this tool comes in response to the continued need to proactively address the sustained loss of asthma control at all levels of severity.