Asthma Education Clinic

The Asthma Education Clinic provides education about asthma and the management of asthma to children, youth and their families. The asthma educators are also a resource for allied health care professionals within the hospital.
 
The goal of the Asthma Education Clinic is to work collaboratively with families and their primary caregivers to achieve acceptable asthma control for their child. To achieve this goal we use the Canadian Consensus Guidelines definition of control (updated in 2003), combined with the promotion of self-management and consistency in treatment. We are committed to support an improved quality of life and a reduction in hospital visits.

Philosophy

 
Education is offered using a family-centred care approach. The family-centred care approach values principles of respect, information sharing, collaboration and confidence building. Education is considered an essential component of asthma care and effective education is defined as providing a child, youth or family with the appropriate tools to self-manage their asthma. The components of effective asthma education are:

• An effective treatment plan that includes an action plan
• Follow-up visits that assess current management and build on previous education
• Good communication with families and primary care providers
• Information that is based on sound theories and principles of child and adult learning outlined in an asthma educator program
• Collaborative partnerships among the child, youth, or parents and members of the interdisciplinary team
• Effecive therapy (asthma education is effective only in the presence of effective therapy)