Online, On-Demand
Class description
Occupational Asthma
This interactive online course guides healthcare and public health professionals through real-world workplace scenarios to deepen their understanding of work-related asthma. Participants will explore the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of occupational asthma, including its various forms—work-exacerbated, irritant-induced, and sensitizer-induced (allergic).
The course helps learners to differentiate types of work-related asthma and their underlying mechanisms and identify common occupational exposures linked to allergic asthma. Participants will also be able to interpret diagnostic tests and assess work-relatedness in order to manage cases and recommend appropriate workplace accommodations.
Designed for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, case managers, and public health professionals, this course offers practical, evidence-based insights to support better patient outcomes in occupational health.
On-demand online module available NOW through 6/30/2027
Occupational Asthma is part of the University of Washington Occupational Diseases Online Course (ODOC) series. This mixed-media online series serves as an introduction to a variety of important occupational diseases using public health scenarios and clinical cases.
To return to the ODOC series page: click here.
Featured instructor:
Coralynn Sack, MD, MPH
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS); Associate Professor, Medicine, University of Washington (UW)
Dr. Coralynn Sack is a physician-scientist with clinical and research expertise in environmental and occupational lung disease. She received her MD from the University of Buffalo and MPH in epidemiology from the UW. She is board-certified in internal medicine, pulmonology, critical care, and occupational medicine. Her research activities integrate translational experimental design and epidemiologic studies to characterize environmental exposures, explore disease mechanisms, and investigate health outcomes. Current research interests include the health effects of air pollution, occupational exposures in cannabis workers, and the environmental causes of interstitial lung disease.
Contributing instructors:
June Spector, MD, MPH
Research Associate Professor, UW DEOHS
Occupational Research Physician, Department of Labor & Industries
Nancy J. Simcox, MS
Assistant Teaching Professor & Director, Continuing Education Program, UW DEOHS
Learning Objectives
The objectives of the Asthma course are for learners to be able to:
-
Distinguish between different types of work-related asthma, including work-exacerbated asthma, irritant-induced occupational asthma, and sensitizer-induced (allergic) occupational asthma.
-
Provide examples of exposures that cause allergic occupational asthma.
-
Distinguish pathological mechanisms between sensitizer-induced versus irritant-induced occupational asthma
-
Evaluate work-related asthma, including by confirming the asthma diagnosis, interpreting diagnostic tests, and establishing work-relatedness.
-
Manage patients with work-related asthma and make appropriate recommendations for work.
Continuing Education/Certificate of Completion
A completion certificate for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available pending course participation. Due to funding changes, UW DEOHS CE is no longer offering CME and CNE.
Registration
The Asthma online unit is available on-demand now through June 30, 2027.
- Create an account on our site or login to your existing account and select the green registration button at the top to register.
- Complete your registration for this free course.
NOTE: In order to confirm your registration, continue through all of the registration pages, including the payment screen. The course is free to take, but the payment page must be completed in order to finish your registration and gain access to the course. - Once your registration is processed, you will be emailed a web link and instructions to participate in the course.
Course prices
Course price: $25