Launching its first retail medical clinics in 2000, MinuteClinic, a division of CVS Caremark Corporation, has about 600 locations across 25 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Its health care model responds to consumer demand, making access to quality medical treatment simpler and more affordable for many. With a 95 percent customer satisfaction rating, the retail health care provider could further benefit its patients by utilizing the asthma disease management resources and tools from Lungtropolis.com.

Asthma in the U.S.

Asthma disease management costs Americans about $56 billion per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control ...

Asthma education for kids is a way to empower asthmatic children living with the chronic disease. The more your child knows about this condition, the better he or she can manage symptoms. By creating an Asthma Action Plan with your childs health care provider, you can help your child avoid asthma triggers, recognize the warning signs of a possible asthma episode and take control.

Peak Flow Meter

Asthma information for kids should include knowledge of how to use a peak flow meter, a device that tells how well a child is able to push air out of his or ...

Good asthma condition management is about more than making sure your child takes prescribed asthma medicines. Its about more than doing your best in spite of his or her symptoms. Its about understanding the asthma symptoms children commonly experience and preventing them; knowing your childs asthma triggers; and helping your child follow the treatment plan even when he or she feels well.

Good Control Asthma Checklist

• How are you and your child doing with asthma condition management? Use this checklist:
• Your child only needs to use quick-relief asthma medicines two days a week or less.
• There are ...

Asthma is a chronic condition that cant be cured, and its the third-leading cause of hospitalizations in children under the age of 15. Health care providers need to be able to provide asthma education tools and resources at the time of diagnosis so parents and children can learn how to manage this disease. With good asthma management, patients will have fewer or no symptoms and be as active as they want to be. Tools like Lungtropolis.com can help you inform your young patients and their parents.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, access to ...

Hospitals, health care companies and states are implementing asthma disease management programs to help asthma sufferers improve their quality of life and help everyone involved lower the cost of care. When patients learn self-care and asthma control techniques, they are less likely to miss school or work, be hospitalized or go to the emergency room as a result of the disease. According to a report provided by Delaware Health and Social Services, the implementation of programs relating to asthma disease management can also help reduce the severity of asthma.

Asthma Disease Management Trends

Hospital management programs. Clinical pharmacists, like the ...

Asthma control often begins with knowing asthma triggers. The most common type of asthma, according to WebMD, is allergic asthma, which is when an allergen causes the immune system to overreact and affect the lungs and airways. ScienceDaily reports that asthma is the most common chronic illness in children worldwide; the number of people who suffer from the disease has doubled within the last 10 years.

Many parents of asthmatic children practice asthma control by knowing the allergy triggers that lead to distressed breathing and reducing exposure to them. One more tool that may help reduce allergy/asthma symptoms in ...

Prevention and disease management programs are some of the best ways to help keep health care costs low. According to the American Lung Association , about 7.1 million children under the age of 18 were affected by asthma in 2009. The health care cost of the chronic disease is about $50.1 billion annually. Furthermore, asthma is the leading cause of school absences and the third-leading cause of hospitalizations in children under age 15. Health insurance providers are finding that asthma education ...

The American Lung Association reports that asthma is the top reason for missed school days. In 2008, an estimated 14.4 million children in the United States experienced a school absence because of their asthma symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control. One of the best ways teachers, parents and caregivers can help children control their allergy/asthma symptom is to become familiar with asthma education resources and put the tips into practice.

Teachers and School Personnel

School personnel can help address asthma management by providing asthma resources and education; tailoring school health services to incorporate the needs of ...

ORCAS Research Scientist Susan Schroeder, MPH, MCHES, PMP will present some of the latest techniques in asthma self-management at the upcoming The Forum 12 event Oct. 18, 2012, in Atlanta, Ga. Schroeders presentation, Development and Evaluation of an Online Asthma Self-Management Game for Children, will highlight the asthma game ORCAS offers on Lungtropolis.com.

Lungtropolis uses health behavior-change theory in an interactive, web-based game to help children ages ...

Asthma education is one of the best tools parents have to manage a childs asthma symptoms and promote a healthy school environment. The Healthy Schools Network website provides you with asthma education tools for working with your school and community to create greener, asthma-friendly environments. It also discusses how you and like-minded parents can promote a healthy school environment for all children. On the site, you can also find tip sheets and activities; review helpful questions to ask schools; and learn how to spot environmental problems on campus.

Steps You Can Take

Healthy Schools Network provides parents with a ...

The prevention of asthma symptoms is critical to patients and their families. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and other agencies have unveiled new developments in the treatment and management of asthma. These agencies have found that the control and prevention of asthma flare-ups is as simple as knowing and recognizing and managing asthma signs and symptoms.

Health agencies have found that activities relating to asthma control must extend beyond the doctors office and into public health outreach efforts. According to ...

The school year is often the time parents need the most help with asthma management for their children. When children are in an environment parents cant control, there is an increased risk of exposure to respiratory infections and asthma triggers. Respiratory infections are a common cause of asthma flare-ups in young children. The following tips will help you prepare your child to practice effective asthma condition management during the new school year.

Encourage hand washing. Hand washing is one of the best ways your child can avoid catching a cold or flu. Teach your child about the importance of ...

The first line of defense in diagnosing and treating asthma is a patients health care provider. Nevertheless, asthma condition management remains an under-recognized need. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) created Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (EPR-3), which gives physicians a new look at the control and prevention of asthma attacks and symptoms.

In the updated guidelines, the NAEPP outlines six clinical practice recommendations to aid with asthma condition management. These include:

1. The use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). According to the NAEPP, inhaled corticosteroids are one of the most effective and preferred ...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), asthma is the most prevalent chronic disorder in children. In 2009, the CDC found that asthma affected 7.1 million children and youths under the age of 18, and more than half of that population suffered an asthma attack or episode during the same year. Furthermore, asthma was the top third reason for hospitalization in children under the age of 15 in 2006 and was the top reason for school absenteeism in 2009. Asthma control is a big deal, both for children who suffer from the disease and for their ...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in 2009, 24.6 million American adults had asthma. During the same year, the disease affected 7.1 million children under the age of 18. As for the financial impact, the CDC estimates that the direct cost of treating asthma in children and adults is about $50.1 billion, while indirect costs amount to $5.9 billion, for a total of $56 billion annually.

The Price of Asthma

The occurrence of asthma, a lifelong disease, is on the rise. For example, from 2001 to 2009, the number of people diagnosed ...

Kids who experience asthma signs and symptoms may also have allergies  the two frequently occur together, and treating both may be an effective way to provide relief. Just as every person reacts to allergens differently, a study by the Health Impacts of Airborne Allergen Information Network found that the allergenicity of pollens also varies. So, depending on the time of year and geographic region, pollens create different compounds that can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms.

Allergies and Asthma Information

Mayo Clinic allergy specialist James T. Li, M.D. states that the same particles that trigger allergic reactions can also cause ...