MCDIN - Asthma Links

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology site contains a health care professional resource center, media information hub, topics of the month, meeting information and the Pediatric Asthma Clinical Guidelines

American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology
The American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunolgy is an information and news service for patients, parents of patients, purchasers of group health care programs and the news media.

American Lung Association
The American Lung Association is the oldest voluntary health organization in the United States. ALA fights lung disease in all its forms, with special emphasis on asthma, tobacco control and environmental health. The site contains asthma education programs for children, advocacy, communications, and multicultural programs as well as data and statistics.

American Association of Asthma Educators
The primary purpose of the Association of Asthma Educators is to promote asthma education as an integral component of a comprehensive asthma program, to raise the competence of health care professionals who educate individuals and families affected by asthma, and to raise the standard of care and quality of asthma education delivered to those with asthma. To that end, the Association recognizes that asthma education should reflect the recommendations of the national guidelines and serve to meet the needs of the target population. The express purpose of asthma education is to improve health outcomes for individuals and families affected by asthma.

National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute
As part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute provides leadership for a national program in diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lung, and blood; blood resources; and sleep disorders. It also contains information about Healthy People 2010, and an Asthma Management Model System.

Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is a patient organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with asthma and allergies through education, advocacy and research. There are resources and continuing education programs for health care professionals in this site.
New England Chapter

Healthy People 2010 Gateway
Healthy People 2010 is the Federal Government's blueprint for building a healthier Nation over the next 10 years. It sets out a host of goals and objectives that focus on two major themes--to increase the quality and years of Americans' healthy life and to end racial and ethnic disparities in the burden of disease. One of the Gateway's four key areas is asthma.

NAEEP Asthma Coalition Exchange
The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program is administered and coordinated by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and works with intermediaries including major medical associations, voluntary health organizations, and community programs to educate patients, health professionals, and the public. The ultimate goal of the NAEPP is to enhance the quality of life for patients with asthma and decrease asthma-related morbidity and mortality.

American Association for Respiratory Care
This website for respiratory therapists contains asthma and other respiratory disease information and important links to other healthcare sites on many levels.

MEDEM
MEDEM is a healthcare information brought to you by the nation's medical societies. The web site contains a medical library of comprehensive peer-reviewed content on many diseases and conditions.

Agency for Health Care Policy & Research
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was established in 1989 as the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. It is the lead agency charged with supporting research designed to improve the quality of health care, reduce its cost, and broaden access to essential services. AHRQ's broad programs of research bring practical, science-based information to medical practitioners and to consumers and other health care purchasers.

Improving Chronic Care Illness
Improving Chronic Illness Care, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is dedicated to the idea that United States health care can do better. The 99 million Americans who suffer from diabetes, depression and other chronic conditions can lead healthier lives. Providers who care for chronically ill patients can be better supported with guidelines, specialty expertise and information systems. Overall health care costs can be lowered through better care delivery. This wonderful web site contains useful chronic care tools and resources for both health care professionals and patients.

Institute for Healthcare Improvement
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement is a Boston-based, independent, non-profit organization working since 1991 to accelerate improvement in health care systems in the United States, Canada, and Europe by fostering collaboration, rather than competition, among health care organizations.

National Initiative for Children's Health Care Quality (NICHQ)
NICHQ is a program of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, which seeks to make dramatic improvements in the quality of care for children and adolescents.

Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc.
A nonprofit, policy resource center that promotes high quality health care services for low-income populations and people with chronic illnesses and disabilities. We achieve this objective by conducting policy analysis, testing model products and providing "real world" training and technical assistance to our key audiences: purchasers of publicly-financed health care, managed care organizations and consumer groups. The web site contains a Managed Care Best Practices Resource Center and Publications.

Chicago Asthma Consortium (CAC)
The Chicago Asthma Consortium is a joint project of the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago and the American College of Chest Physicians. The goals of the CAC are to reduce the morbidity and mortality and enhance the quality of life for people with asthma. On this site you will find many useful asthma resources

New England Clinicians Forum
The mission of the New England Clinicians Forum is to support interdisciplinary health care team members in the delivery of accessible, high quality, community- based health care to all populations with a special emphasis on the underserved.