We hope that you will find the Get a Head Start on Asthma web site to be a useful resource for parents and teachers of preschool children with asthma. We have attempted to make this information as general as possible to avoid conflicting with the details of individual plans of care.
This website is designed to:
- Introduce basic concepts of asthma management to parents of underserved children, preschool teachers and child care providers.
- Provide an easy-to-read format with answers to common asthma questions available in English, Hmong and Spanish, with audioclips.
- Benefit families with limited access to health care.
- Respect the providers' role in determining specific treatments appropriate for each child.
- Reflect evidence-based guidelines in a form persons with low health literacy can easily understand.
- Provide web links for those wanting further, in-depth asthma management information.
This site is not designed to:
- Replace asthma education given by health care professionals.
- Provide every detail of appropriate asthma management.
- Provide diagnosis and treatment recommendations to parents.
A variety of professionals have found this information useful, including:
- Emergency department staff
- Daycare and Head Start sites for underserved families
- School nurses
- Hospital staff
- Asthma educators
These professionals have recommended using the Get A Head Start on Asthma information resources in the following ways:
- Print off asthma information for families.
- Recommend web-based information to families seeking further information about asthma management.
- Promote communication between caregivers and parents, e.g. by explaining asthma action plans.
- Enhance families' general understanding of asthma at critical moments, e.g. upon initial diagnosis, at hospital discharge, or when changing the treatment plan.
- Use these resources to reinforce asthma education provided in clinics and inpatient settings.