The in-home asthma program is implemented regionally throughout Connecticut, local health departments are contracted by the CT Dept of Public Health with CDC funds to perform the in home asthma visits. Currently, six of seven CT Dept Public Health Asthma Program defined regions in Connecticut have a Putting on AIRS program including: New Haven/Milford, New London/Groton/Norwich, Northeast District Department of Public Health, Central CT Health District/Hartford, Naugatuck Valley Health District, and Stratford Health Department/Bridgeport.
The objective of this statewide program is to reduce acute asthma episodes and improve asthma control through patient/family self-management education and recognition and elimination/reduction of environmental and other asthma triggers in six asthma regions.
Home Visit Details
There are two main parts to the Putting on AIRS home visit: patient/family self-management asthma education and environmental assessment. An asthma educator/nurse/respiratory therapist with experience in asthma management and an environmental specialist, such as a sanitarian, staff the visit. Given the regional approach to program implementation, often the asthma educator and the environmental specialist may be from different towns. All staff members receive formal Putting on AIRS training conducted by CT DPH or another experienced asthma region. A train-the-trainer approach is used for subsequent personnel needing training in a specific region. All educators also attend the American Lung Association’s Asthma Educator Institute two-day training.
Physicians from the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Northwestern University are conducting two clinical studies for asthma patients entitled VIDA (Vitamin D add-on therapy enhances corticosteroid responsiveness in Asthma) and BELT (Blacks and Exacerbations on LABA vs. Tiotropium).
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