Education on Asthma Self-Management
- Expanding access to and delivery of asthma self-management education (AS-ME)
What we are doing:
American Lung Association provides training on asthma self-management education (AS-ME) by preparing a workforce of healthcare professionals to educate adults, children, and families in asthma. The Lung Association provides professional development education courses, such as Asthma Basics and the Asthma Educator Institute. Also, the Lung Association prepares school nurses, school personnel and community health educators to facilitate asthma programs for elementary-aged children, adolescents, and adults using American Lung Association evidenced-based programs that include Open Airways For Schools®, Kickin’ Asthma, and Breathe Well, Live Well®.
X-tinguishing smoking and secondhand smoke
- Reducing smoking and the use of other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, cigars and smokeless tobacco
- Reducing exposure to secondhand smoke
What we are doing:
The American Lung Association is committed to helping educate , intervene, and prevent the use of tobacco and nicotine by the next generation. The Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent youth tobacco use, eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke and help all tobacco users end their addition through quitting. Our work in these areas is accomplished by:
- Preparing a workforce of healthcare professionals to facilitate evidenced-based programs (Freedom From Smoking & Not-on Tobacco Facilitator Trainings)
- Providing evidence-based smoking cessation programs for teens who want to quit tobacco.
- Supporting and expanding the number of tobacco/nicotine free communities
- Reducing tobacco products through public policy
Home visits for trigger reduction and asthma self-management education
- Expanding access to and delivery of home visits (as needed) for asthma trigger reduction and AS-ME
What we are doing:
The American Lung Association focuses on increasing the coverage of home visits for trigger reduction and asthma self-management education (AS-ME) by promoting evidenced-based programs and strategies.
Achievement of guidelines-based medical management
- Strengthening systems supporting guidelines-based medical care, including appropriate prescribing and use of inhaled corticosteroids
- Improving access and adherence to asthma medications and devices
What we are doing:
Achieving widespread guidelines-based medical care management can improve health outcomes and quality of life for people living with asthma. It can improve medicine adherence, reduce asthma-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits, reduce healthcare costs from fewer hospitalizations and emergency department visits, as well as reduce the number missed work and school days due to asthma symptoms. At the Lung Association we work towards the widespread adoption of guidelines-based care through:
Linkages and coordination of care across settings
- Promoting coordinated care for people with asthma
What we are doing:
Successful promotion and implementation of coordinated care for people living with asthma can help improve asthma control and reduce healthcare costs. At the Lung Association we promote expanding coordinated care for people living with asthma through our work on:
- Clinical Quality Improvement initiatives to strengthen health systems
- Partnerships with health systems (e.g., Children’s Hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, School-Based Health Centers)
- Individualized or customized approaches to meet the needs of the partner or the community
Environmental policies or best practices to reduce asthma triggers from indoor, outdoor, and occupational sources
- Facilitating home energy efficiency, including home weatherization assistance programs
- Facilitating smoke free policies
- Facilitating clean diesel school buses
- Eliminating exposure to asthma triggers in the workplace whenever possible
- Reducing exposure to asthma triggers in the workplace (if eliminating exposures is not possible)
What we are doing:
People spend most of their times indoors and much of this time is spent at home. Avoiding and removing asthma triggers from indoor, outdoor, and occupational spaces is a key step to preventing symptoms. By removing asthma triggers air quality can be improved, while reducing symptoms in children and adults. Additionally, this step has been proven to decrease hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and the use of rescue medicine. At the Lung Association we work to help establish and expend environmental policies and best practices to reduce asthma triggers through:
