Breathing Breakthroughs: Mastering the Latest Asthma Guidelines
Asthma educators use clinical guidelines when evaluating a patient’s asthma action plan to confirm the plan offers the best possible asthma control. The two most common sets of guidelines are the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP). The GINA guidelines are updated annually, whereas the NAEPP guidelines are updated as needed. This course reviews each set of guidelines and compares differences between them. In addition to learning about specific medication management and treatment for COVID-19 and asthma, you will explore guidance for treatment options such as exhaled nitric oxide monitoring, indoor allergen mitigation, immunotherapy, and bronchial thermoplasty.
Speaker Information
Ashley R. Lachowicz MSc, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RRT-NPS, AE-C
Current and Advanced Practices in Home Monitoring and Telehealth
Asthma is a chronic condition over 27 million Americans have, and many of these people struggle to manage their symptoms daily. A person with asthma is expected to navigate a complicated medical condition in our country’s very complex health system. This can lead to devastating impacts on a person’s ability to manage their asthma and their quality of life. As healthcare providers it is our goal to find an accurate diagnosis, prevent disease progression, and improve or maintain a patient’s quality of life. To assist you in this ever-changing healthcare landscape, this course presents the latest tools and technologies to help your patients take ownership of their health.
Speaker Information
Sarah Brundidge MSc, RRT, AE-C, CPFT
Effective Asthma Messaging
Effective communication is critical for successful patient education. This course describes key components of patient-centered communication which facilitates trusting relationships with patients. Two simple methods of communication, RESPECT and Ask3Teach3, will help you communicate effectively when educating patients. These two methods foster patient-centered communication, improving patient education. Finally, the foundations of motivational interview will be presented. Motivational interviewing is a patient-centered communication method that allows you to guide patients in creating healthy changes to improve disease management. When thinking about patient education it is important to keep the word “patient” at the center of it - the focus of this course.
Speaker Information
Nancy L. Guyse MSc, RRT, RRT-NPS, AE-C
Importance of Asthma Education in Community Health
Many asthma educators begin their careers in acute care settings where patients present themselves to you for care. Expanding skills into providing community education requires new perspectives because you need to locate and engage clients before providing education. Assisting clients in the community requires a strong needs assessment. Learn about how to explore a community’s social determinants of health, collect data, and empower community members to make informed decisions about their health. This course highlights key resources such as community health workers, theoretical models to use in program development, tools to evaluate your program’s effectiveness, and strategies to create partnerships for adherence. You will also learn key strategies for successful methods to engage with your community.
Speaker Information
Linda Nozart MPH, BSRT, RRT, AE-C
Pediatric Critical Asthma Syndrome
This course defines pediatric critical asthma syndrome, lists current treatments, and provides evidence for each treatment. After reviewing the pathophysiology of asthma, you will learn the treatments targeted for each area of the asthma triad. The course also examines drug regimens, including dosing, frequency, and route for pediatric critical asthma. Additionally, you will learn how to use asthma pathways, scoring systems, and the evidence supporting their use in this population. The course concludes by discussing high-flow nasal cannula, noninvasive ventilation, and helium-oxygen mixture use in pediatric critical asthma.
Speaker Information
Andrew G. Miller MSc, RRT-ACCS, RRT-NPS, FAARC, FCCM
Updates to Asthma Medications
New medications for asthma management continue to enter the market. Thus, seasoned asthma educators need to stay abreast of these new additions and understand their role in asthma management. The course begins with a review of the major classifications of medications prescribed to control asthma symptoms. You will learn the efficacy, safety, side effects, and potential interactions of these medication. Additionally, this course discusses specific asthma phenotypes and endotypes which guide medication management. For our patients with severe asthma, the last section describes the newest classification of medications, biologics, and their indications, FDA-approved age groups, and dosages.
Speaker Information
Karen L. Gregory DNP, APRN, CNS, RRT, AE-C, FAARC