The Asthma Action Plan is a daily management tool designed to help asthma patients better manage their chronic condition in a preventive, rather than a reactive, mode. Care teams, including pediatricians, nurses, and others as necessary, work with patients to create an Asthma Action Plan that outlines regular steps to prevent and/or treat asthma attacks.

This is another example of a "stoplight" tool, designed to assist patients with monitoring and managing their chronic condition by dividing various signs and symptoms into "green," "yellow," and "red" management zones. The analogy of a stoplight can be useful in teaching patients about monitoring and managing their chronic condition.

Healthcare South adapted this Asthma Action Plan from the version created by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Asthma Action Plan is based on criteria identified by the NIH to help patients and physicians gauge the severity of patients' symptoms, and to understand the particular triggers and prescribe the appropriate medications for each severity.

See the related story: Pursuing Perfection: Report from Cambridge Health Alliance on Improving Asthma Care

1. For more detailed instructions on how Healthcare South uses the Asthma Action Plan to help their asthma patients manage their care, see Healthcare South's website.
   
   
2. Download the Asthma Action Plan in .PDF format from Healthcare South's website.