National Asthma and Lung Groups Collaborate to Empower Patients and Raise Awareness About Disease Severity

The Allergy & Asthma Network recently partnered with the CHEST Foundation for a joint campaign to empower patients with persistent, difficult-to-control asthma.

The campaign hopes to increase patients’ understanding of their condition through special education programs. It also aims to ensure that patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare providers are aware of the latest asthma treatment options, the importance of a specialist referral, and highlight the role of the healthcare team and loved ones in the care of an asthma patient.

“The CHEST Foundation has long been dedicated to supporting and educating those affected by asthma and asthma-related conditions,” John Howington, president of the CHEST Foundation, said in a press release. “We are proud to be working with the Network to help patients nationwide start living their lives in a healthier, more enjoyable way due to decreased asthma interference.”

The CHEST Foundation disseminates patient education material and programs, clinical research grants, and community service efforts. Since its inception in 1996, the foundation has awarded more than $10 million in research funding for lung health.

The Allergy & Asthma Network specializes in sharing family-friendly, medically accurate information through its magazine, Allergy & Asthma Today. For more than 30 years, the Allergy & Asthma Network has been leading efforts to halt asthma suffering, and realizes the severity of misunderstood asthma symptoms.

“Despite many advances in healthcare, 10 Americans die every day from asthma and asthma-related complications,” said Tonya Winders, president and CEO of the Allergy & Asthma Network.

“These deaths can be prevented with continued education of both patients and providers – a sentiment that the CHEST Foundation shares with our organization. This campaign is a joint effort to raise the understanding of asthma across the country, especially in urban areas where the illness is most severe.”

The new collaborative initiative will work to raise awareness about asthma by tailoring the organizations’ efforts toward patients, caregivers, schools, parents, clinicians, and everyone involved in the lives of those living with severe asthma. The initiative will focus on helping individuals feel more empowered by a better understanding of their condition, and gaining access to updated research and resources to more effectively manage their condition.

The asthma awareness campaign is sponsored in part by funding by pharmaceutical giants Boehringer Ingelheim and GlaxoSmithKline.

References:
www.mdspiro.com
http://lungdiseasenews.com/2016/08/19/allergy-asthma-network-chest-foundation-join-forces-raise-awareness/
http://www.allergyasthmanetwork.org/outreach/publications/allergy-asthma-today-2015/ 
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/allergy–asthma-network-chest-foundation-join-forces-to-raise-awareness-around-severity-of-difficult-to-control-asthma-300314182.html 
http://www.chestnet.org/Foundation 
http://lungdiseasenews.com/asthma/