Asthma Program Manager

Interactive Asthma Action Plan (iAAP) The Minnesota Department of Health's Asthma Program recently launched a new, interactive Asthma Action Plan (iAAP), a computerized clinical decision support tool for licensed health care providers who treat patients with asthma. The iAAP assists asthma providers/prescribers in determining the appropriate severity and asthma control, using the EPR-3 Guidelines, and also supports effective self management by creating patient-specific asthma action plans in English and Spanish. There are four available versions of the iAAP: web-based, desktop, network and electronic health record. You are welcome to personalize it by adding your name and/or logo in the empty space provided.  

The Great American Asthma Challenge links people with asthma, their families and friends, healthcare providers, legislators and members of the healthcare industry in a shared mission, working at home and in their communities to transform asthma care in a ripple effect across the nation.

Participants log into a new interactive website, take a quick survey to establish a baseline and set goals, then they’re off to complete Challenge activities targeted for three levels of users: families, healthcare providers and legislators. New Challenges will be posted on the website each month. Throughout the Challenge, participants will see survey results and share feedback. The Challenge is self-paced and fun, plugging participants into a network of others who share their struggles, triumphs and goals. At the end of the Challenge, users take a survey to measure their progress.

This workshop was designed to help health care professionals enhance the quality of care they deliver by educating them about specific environmental asthma triggers and how they affect asthma outcomes as well as the appropriate remediation strategies.  The program also provides HCPs with information about the local resources that their patients may find useful such as asthma education classes, tenants rights and human services resources, pest control, community-level advocacy (ie. reducing neighborhood diesel idling), air quality monitor tools, etc.

By improving HCPs knowledge of the environmental issues and the wide variety of strategies for reducing exposure they can provide more comprehensive care, are more likely to communicate these issues to their patients, and are better equipped to provide meaningful information to their patients that will increase the patient and families capacity for successful self management.  

Please contact the Clean Air Council if you would like your office or clinic to receive this training workshop or would like any relevant information, hand-outs, triggers checklist, etc.