Asthma Awareness Month

Event Planning Kit

How to Plan an

Asthma Education Event

at a Local Hospital or Clinic

May is Asthma Awareness Month!

There is no better time to promote asthma education, including management of environmental triggers. Join EPA to
plan an educational event for staff, patients, and the public at a local hospital or clinic. To do this, you will need the
support of hospital or clinic management and key staff Things to do include:

T Conduct asthma educational trainings and

coordinate activities at the local hospital or clinic:

~	Offer asthma education on environmental
asthma triggers and management;

~	Incorporate asthma into health fairs;

~	Show the Arthur® video, "Buster's Breathless,"
and EPA's asthma and secondhand smoke public
service announcements;

~	Educate parents on asthma and the risks of
secondhand smoke;

~	Distribute asthma education materials with
prescriptions filled at local pharmacies;

~	Provide guest speakers—such as asthma patients,
doctors, nurses, or TV personalities—to describe
how to live with asthma; and

~	Schedule a press conference with local media to
discuss current asthma care practices.

T Recruit local sponsors to provide giveaways or
support. Potential sponsors include area
businesses and organizations—such as the local
chapter of the American Lung Association—that
may assist in asthma events or trainings.

T Contact the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of
America about conducting an "Asthma
Management and Education" training for health
professionals who educate and care for patients
with asthma.

T Contact the American Association for
Respiratory Care (AARC) to obtain the
"Environmental Triggers of Asthma" CD-ROM
continuing education course for respiratory
therapists.

T Issue press releases and publicize your event in
newsletters, patient information packets, on Web
sites, and through local media.

And remember...

T Distribute asthma materials to patients, hospital
or clinic staff, and families. The following are a
few of the many asthma education resources
available to you:

~	EPA's "Clear Your Home of Asthma Triggers"
brochure;

~	EPA's "Take the Smoke-Free Home Pledge"
brochure and poster;

~	EPA's "Dusty and His Asthma Triggers"
children's funbook;

~	EPA's "Breathing Freely: Controlling Asthma
Triggers" video; and

~	EPA's "Help Your Child Gain Control Over
Asthma."

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