Expert Panel Report 4 (EPR-4) Working Group

National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee

The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee (NAEPPCC) Expert Panel 4 (EPR-4) Working Group was established in 2018 to update the 2007 Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR-3). The EPR-4 Working Group members used findings from five systematic reviews to update the guidelines. The topic areas included:

  • Role of Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Asthma
  • Intermittent Inhaled Corticosteroids and Long-Acting Muscarinic Antagonist for Asthma
  • Effectiveness of Indoor Allergen Reduction in Management of Asthma
  • Effectiveness and Safety of Bronchial Thermoplasty in Management of Asthma
  • The Clinical Utility of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) in Asthma Management

NHLBI engaged the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and provided support for rigorous systematic evidence reviews through the AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Centers. The EPR-4 Working Group followed the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations and standards for using systematic evidence reviews in the development of trustworthy guidelines. In December 2020, the NAEPPCC published the 2020 Focused Updates to the Asthma Management Guidelines.