Health Professionals

Due to the complex nature of asthma, health care providers must be armed with the knowledge and skills to correctly diagnose, treat and teach their patients about how to manage their asthma.

Definition of Asthma

Click here for the most up to date definition of asthma and here for diagnostic criteria.

4 Components of Asthma Care (According to the 2007 Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma):

1.   Assessing and Monitoring Asthma Severity and Control - Click here for more information.
2.   Education for a Partnership in Care - Click here for asthma action plans
3.   Control of Environmental Factors and Comorbid Conditions that Affect Asthma - Click here to find out more about comorbid conditions that affect asthma.  Click here for a discussion on how to correct environmental factors that may make asthma worse.
4.   Medication - Click here for listing of asthma medications by name
   

Infants and Children Under Age 5: 
There are special concerns related to diagnosing and treating infants and small children with asthma. Click here to find the best ways to manage these smallest patients.

Pregnancy:
Managing asthma during pregnancy can be challenging. Click here to find information that will make it easier.

Children Over Age 5 and Adults: 
Health care professionals frequently see adults and older children with symptoms of asthma. Find out how you can help them more effectively by clicking here.

Seniors: 
Asthma is a very common problem among older people. Diseases and medications not seen in other age groups, though, can complicate diagnosing and treating seniors for asthma. Learn about the best ways to treat and diagnose your older patients by clicking here.

Asthma Action Plans: 
An Asthma Action/Management Plan is an important part of each patient’s treatment plan. Learn about the plan, and get copies to fill out with your patients by clicking here.

Guidelines: 
There are several guidelines for the treatment and management of asthma that help health care providers correctly diagnose and treat the disease. Click here to review the national and international guidelines that can help you take better care of your patients with asthma.

Patient Education Materials: 
Need information in easy-to-understand terms? Click here to find material for all age groups, on all aspects of asthma. To find more asthma education materials, contact your local asthma coalition, or visit the Allies Against Asthma resource page.

Need a tool to help you decide if your patient education material is right for your clientele? The AIM Patient Education Material Assessment Tool can help. You may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.

Michigan Asthma Resource Kit (MARK):
The MARK is a terrific resource for physicians and their staff, containing both professional and patient information that can make treating patients with asthma much easier. Click here to check it out.

Asthma educators:
Click here to find information about and for asthma educators.

Asthma Research: 
What’s the latest in asthma research? Click here and find out!

Medications:  
An important part of any patient’s treatment plan is medications. Find out all about long term controllers, quick-relief medications, delivery devices and other medication issues by clicking here.

Alternative Treatments:
Many patients are asking about or using alternative treatments for asthma. Click here to learn about herbal remedies and other common ones, and how to advise your patients to spot quackery.

MI Asthma Statistics:
Click here to find out many different statistics about asthma in Michigan.

Asthma Links & Resources:
- Need more information about asthma? Find links to other asthma organizations by clicking here.

-Interested in reports related to asthma in Michigan? Find Michigan's Blueprint for Action and the Annual Reports on Asthma: Deaths Among Individuals Aged 2-34 Years in Michigan by clicking here.

Pulmonary Function Tests:
Click here to learn about how these tests can help diagnose asthma, and what to tell patients about having them.

Risk Factors for Serious Asthma Events: 
Need to know if your patient is at a higher risk for serious asthma attacks or death? Click here for a discussion on asthma mortality and asthma risk factors.