According to the CDC, asthma affects 18.7 million adults and 6.8 million children in the U.S. alone. As such, it’s a condition that’s always on the minds of public health officials and media outlets, and there is no better time than the month of May to get the word out to these folks about the disease and the key role respiratory therapists play in the care of patients who have it.
National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month joins World Asthma Day on the 5th to create a wealth of opportunities to network with those in your community who could use more information about asthma and how it is best treated. And the AARC has some great Public Relations Tools to help you make the connections you need.
But these asthma awareness events aren’t just about working with the public. They’re about improving your own asthma skills too, and this year the AARC is getting into the act by offering all of its members the chance to save on its Asthma Educator Certification Preparation Course.
Just register between May 1 and May 31 with the code “ASTHMA” and receive 15% off the registration fee.
The course is a great way to prepare for the exam leading to the Asthma Educator-Certified credential—a designation accepted throughout health care as a standard of excellence in the provision of disease management services to asthma patients.
The AARC has lots of other asthma resources you can use to mark the upcoming asthma celebrations as well—
- Asthma and the Respiratory Therapist: This 3.5 hour CRCE course provides a great overview of the four key elements in the NLHBI’s Expert Panel Report, 3rd Edition—the starting point for asthma management in any setting.
- Guide to Aerosol Delivery Devices for Respiratory Therapists: Now in its third edition, this booklet contains the latest information on the nebulizers, MDIs, and DPIs your patients use to treat their asthma. It’s free for AARC members and you can even earn 6 CRCE credits by taking a post test.
- Asthma Disease Management Roundtable: Available at no extra cost to members, this online community a great place to network with fellow RTs who have a special interest in asthma.
- YourLungHealth.Org: Our consumer website has a wealth of useful information and advice on asthma you can share with your patients.
- Allergy & Asthma Health: Published quarterly, our online consumer magazine features great articles written especially for patients and families by AARC members. Check it out and then provide your patients with a link to sign up.
- Webcast Central Past Programs: The AARC regularly hosts webcasts dealing with asthma, and they’re all available for viewing in this archive. If you’re looking for continuing education on a particular topic pertaining to the condition, look here first to see if we’ve already covered it.
Email newsroom@aarc.org with questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.
