 BUILDING ASTHMA COALITIONS: Professor of Pediatrics, Loyola University Chicago Director, Pediatric Home Health, Loyola University Health System Chair-Elect, Chicago Asthma Consortium Past President (1998-1999), American College of Chest Physicians Recent advances in the understanding of etiology, pathophysiology, and pathology have improved the diagnosis and clinical management of asthma. Consensus expert guidelines developed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by the National Institute of Heart, Lung, Blood Institute (NHLBI) and other organizations have sought to enhance understanding of physicians, other healthcare professionals, and patients. Nevertheless, asthma continues to increase in incidence, prevalence, and severity as a cause of morbidity and mortality in children and adults. BUILDING ASTHMA COALITIONS explains what makes community health networks (coalitions, consortia) effective in changing health status and health systems. Participants will understand requirements, expectations, characteristics, and steps to coalition success. The Chicago Asthma Consortium represents one successful demonstration that can serve as a model for global application. Participants will appreciate what we have learned in our early experience. Asthma remains as a major health challenge all over the world. Global health can only be achieved with attention to the patient, the family, and the community. BUILDING ASTHMA COALITIONS represents an response at the community level to identify, recommend, and implement solutions that will favorably impact global health focused on asthma. Well-meaning community efforts have always existed and tried to make a favorable impact. However, many of these initiatives are poorly communicated and coordinated and they often overlap and compete for the same limited resources. Community health networks involving all essential sectors and participants in the community (including primary and specialty care physicians) can integrate their combined efforts and improve their outcomes. Working together, we can make a difference! REFERENCES: Addington, W, Weiss K. Asthma in Chicago. CHEST 1999;116(4):129s-236s Coover L, Jackson CL, Scharf JS, Goldberg AI. Asthma consortium shares lessons learned. The Advance 2001: in press 
|