General Asthma Population

Each year, the Foundation's report, the “State Honor Roll™ of Asthma and Allergy Policies 

for Schools,” outlines 18 school-related core policies proven to affect positive healthy school 

environments, then assesses each state on how many of these policies they have adopted.  

If a state has enacted at least 15 of the policies, it is listed on the Foundation’s “Honor Roll.”

While thousands of local schools and districts may show innovation and leadership in 

support of students and staff with asthma and allergies, strong state-wide policies are 

lacking throughout the U.S., with some rare bright spots. Visit www.StateHonorRoll.org today to

find out how your state compares!

The Asthma Guidelines Implementation Steps & Tools (GIST) project was funded in 2009 by the National Asthma Control Initiative (NACI) to develop a program that makes it easier for primary care clinicians to use the NHLBI asthma guidelines in their everyday care of patients with asthma. The Michigan Department of Community Health gathered a statewide team of experts in asthma and practice redesign, and created a set of tools and a program to implement them.

In 2011, NACI funded a second phase for GIST, using asthma champions to promote GIST with health professional audiences, and new practices are welcome to use the GIST materials to improve their asthma care.

GIST Materials can be individualized to suit your organization/practice.

• Questions About Your Breathing – A tool to help patients provide info about their breathing symptoms and history
  • Given to patients being seen for respiratory complaints, no current diagnosis of asthma
  • Usually given to patient before seeing clinician
• Asthma Control Test™ – A validated tool to assess patient's level of asthma control
• Asthma Diagnosis Tool – To help clinician diagnose asthma and assess severity
  • Clinician uses with patient being seen for respiratory complaints
• Asthma Patient Follow-Up Tool – To help clinician assess level of asthma control then take steps to maintain, increase or decrease treatment
  • Clinician can use with patient being seen for symptomatic asthma visit, scheduled asthma visit, or visit for other reason
• Stepwise Approach to Managing Asthma – To help clinician determine medication needs and management approach
  • Use steps as initiated on Diagnosis and Follow-Up Tools to determine medication type and dosage, adherence and environmental checks
• Asthma Action Plan – No set plan for GIST, but many good plans available if needed.

Luchando por el Aire: The Burden of Asthma on Hispanics is part of the American Lung Association’s Disparities in Lung Health Series of reports, which takes an in-depth look at a specific problem in a specific community. The Spanish title translates as “fighting for air,” an experience that is all too common among Hispanics with asthma. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics with asthma are less likely to be in the care of a regular doctor or clinic; less likely to be prescribed appropriate medicines; less likely to have access to specialized care; and more likely to end up being treated in the emergency department or hospitalized in a crisis. This report presents an overview of research into the complex biological, environmental, political and cultural factors that increase the burden of asthma on Hispanics.