Updated DC Asthma Action Plan Form Now Available
The
DC Asthma Action Plan second edition
is now
available in English and Spanish based on the
revised National
Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute's
Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. The
guidelines
recommend that ALL children and adults with asthma have a written asthma
action plan, developed jointly with their healthcare provider.
Initially developed in 2007 by community and
government partners and piloted at Children's National Medical Center, this
triplicate form includes copies to share with
schools, childcare providers, nursing homes, and other caregivers. It also
fulfills the requirements for the administration of, and/or student self-administration
of, asthma and anaphylaxis medication under DC's
Student Access
to Treatment Act of 2007 (PDF: 42 KB/6 pages) (D.C.
Law 17-107; D.C. Official Code § 38-651.01 et seq.).
For more
information, contact
Lisa A. Gilmore, (202)
415-1962.
Download DC Asthma Action Plan Form
How
to Use an Asthma Action Plan
Asthma Action
Plans provide a detailed outline of how to manage asthma on a day-to-day
basis and describes what to do in an emergency. An Asthma Action Plan should
be completed by a healthcare provider in partnership with the patient.
Asthma Action Plans come in a number of different formats but most commonly
use a three-color (zone) system like that of a traffic signal:
Green Zone = Go
Yellow Zone = Caution
Red Zone = Danger.
Each zone has
assessment measures and tailored instructions specific to that zone. When
you match the symptoms (and peak flow measurements, if available) to the
correct color section, you will find the steps to take. Most individuals can
benefit from using both symptoms and peak flow measurements to determine
their current asthma zone, but either method is acceptable.
Sponsors
The DC
Asthma Action Plan was funded wholly, or in part, by the Government of the
District of Columbia, Department of Health, Community Health Administration,
District of Columbia Control Asthma Now (DC CAN) Program.
Acknowledgements
The National Capital Asthma Coalition
coordinated the development of the Asthma Action Plan with Children's
National Medical Center, DC's four Medicaid managed care organizations
(AMERIGROUP, DC Chartered Health Plan, Health Right, Inc., and Health
Services for Children with Special Needs, Inc.), DC Department of Health, DC
Public Schools, Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Health, Georgetown KIDS
Mobile Medical Clinic, Howard University Hospital, and other DC healthcare
providers.
