Event Planning Kit

Asthma Awareness Month

Asthma Education Ideas

for Health Insurers and Managed Care Organizations

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 patients and providers in a community setting. Things to do include:

Place an article in a newsletter or e-bulletin to
educate patients about asthma, environmental
triggers, and ways to manage asthma.

Distribute asthma materials to providers
(hospitals, specialists, and physicians) to educate
them about comprehensive asthma management
for patients. In addition, co-sponsor a one-day
training for providers with a local chapter of the
American Lung Association or Asthma and
Allergy Foundation of America.

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

Host a health fair in a community setting, such as a
hospital or area high school. Offer an asthma and
allergy screening. Distribute information about
asthma management and methods to identify and
mitigate indoor environmental triggers. Recruit
local sponsors to provide giveaways or support.
Examples of donated materials include items
helpful in mitigating indoor environmental
triggers, such as pillow or mattress covers or HEPA
filters for vacuums.

Encourage hospitals and physicians to run EPA
asthma and secondhand smoke public service
campaigns in closed circuit television in patient
waiting rooms.

Sponsor an asthma awareness event in a local
school setting and educate students, teachers and
faculty about ways to manage asthma in the

school environment. Distribute asthma action plans
to school nurses and students.

T Honor outstanding providers in your network with
an "Asthma Award of the Year" for demonstrating
excellent leadership in comprehensively managing
patient asthma and increasing asthma awareness
with patients.

T Conduct an in-home environmental assessment in
select homes in locations with a high prevalence of
asthma. Display these homes as models to showcase
the importance of managing indoor environmental
triggers.

T Join the Communities in Action for Asthma-
Friendly Environments online network at
www.asthmacommunitynetwork.org.

And remember...

T Asthma educational materials are available for
students, teachers, nurses, school officials, parents,
and the community. The following are some of the
materials that are 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 "Implementing an Asthma Home Visit
Program: 10 Steps to Help Health Plans Get
Started" brochure; and

~	EPA's "Asthma Home Environment Check List."

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