The Allergy & Asthma Network has entered a partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to provide training and resources to hundreds of pediatricians and pediatric specialists, and in support of the AAP’s Medical Home Chapter Champions on Asthma, Allergy, and Anaphylaxis.
Allergy & Asthma recognizes that pediatricians are often the first to diagnose and treat childhood asthma and allergies and, as a result, would most benefit from continuing education programs designed to keep them up-to-date on the latest and best clinical practices.
“The Chapter Champions program has helped the Network engage with pediatricians and pediatric specialists to provide support for patients, raise awareness of asthma and allergies, and make an impact in their communities,” said Tonya Winders, president and chief executive officer of the Allergy & Asthma Network. “By encouraging appropriate referrals to specialists and sharing educational resources, including webinars and the monthly Champions E-Correspondence newsletter, we expand our network of healthcare professionals and promote patient-centered, team-based care.”
Chapter Champions are a group of over 50 volunteer healthcare professionals across the U.S. working to promote expert asthma and allergy care, and to disseminate network messages and resources, including the quarterly Allergy & Asthma Today.
The network to date has trained more than 600 pediatric healthcare professionals in 35 U.S. cities through sessions featuring asthma and allergy specialists presenting case studies and making best practice recommendations. Issues addressed at these sessions include:
- the importance of accurate diagnoses, confirmed through diagnostic tests
- the use of asthma and anaphylaxis action plans
- improved demonstrations to patients in the correct use of allergy and asthma medications
- greater awareness of epinephrine auto-injectors as the first defense for anaphylaxis
- advocating that schools stock emergency supplies of albuterol (for asthma flares) and epinephrine (for anaphylaxis)
The A&A Network and the AAP plan to jointly host a symposium next year focusing on improved care guidelines for life-threatening allergies and anaphylaxis. The 2016 AAP National Conference & Exhibition is set for Oct. 22–25 in San Francisco.
More information about these conditions is available at Lung Disease News, including a report on a study analyzing the socio-economic and environmental factors affecting children with asthma and allergies who live in public housing. The study, published on the website in November 2015, found higher incidences of environmental pollutants and subsequent disease morbidities, and advocated for “green public housing.”