Indiana Asthma Updates-InJAC
The Indiana Joint Asthma Coalition (InJAC) works to reduce the burden of asthma in Indiana with three active workgroups that focus on increasing:
- the number of indoor air quality programs to reduce asthma triggers
- the number of people who participate in community asthma education
- the use of asthma action plans for all asthma patients
This visual highlights impactful work that the InJAC workgroups have recently accomplished. The full report can be found at this link. In addition, below you will find information about how the workgroups have expanded in terms of their objectives and accomplishments since 2022. All three workgroups were formed in November 2021. They meet monthly for an hour and agree to complete a task or two before the next workgroup meeting. Members of all of the workgroups contributed to a newsletter and the Asthma Summit.
The Quality of Care workgroup was formed with a goal to increase use of asthma action plans among all patients with asthma in Indiana. Here is what the Quality of Care workgroup accomplished during the 2022-2023 work year:
- Created new digital flipbooks about asthma action plans for youth and adults
- Co-presented at the Indiana School Health Network Conference on “Are you Ready for an Asthma Emergency at School”?
- Reviewed of evidence-based videos on how to use an asthma inhaler for social media promotion
The Environmental Triggers workgroup was formed with a goal to increase awareness and educate school staff in schools and childcare centers in ways to identify and reduce asthma triggers in the indoor environment. This workgroup completed the following:
- Created new digital flipbooks about asthma triggers
- Co-presented at the Indiana School Health Network Conference on “Are you Ready for an Asthma Emergency at School”?
- Wrote a blog post to promote Clean Air in Buildings
- Assisted in planning and presenting at the Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall-Kids with Asthma Do It All webinar with the Indiana Rural Health Association and the Hoosier Health and Wellness Alliance in October 2022.
The Infrastructure workgroup was formed with a goal to increase the number of community asthma educators in Indiana. Together they were able to accomplish the following:
- Created new digital flipbooks about free and for free asthma education available in Indiana
- Presented to Respiratory Therapy students at Ivy Tech Indianapolis about InJAC and the workgroup, spring 2022
- Assisted in presenting case studies about asthma during the summer 2022 INCHWA asthma huddle
- Researched and promoted available asthma education and resources in Indiana
In a continued effort to increase education for Community Health Workers across Indiana, InJAC is offering a free online Asthma Education for the Community Health Worker course available to anyone who is interested. The coalition is promoting a free, online 5-module course which focuses on the basic principles of asthma in addition to offering free booklets to complement the course. Topics include the overall scope of asthma, triggers and environmental control, medications, medication delivery services and assessment and monitoring of asthma symptoms.
The Indiana Joint Asthma Coalition is proud of the work members have accomplished to make life better for people with asthma in Indiana. Please consider joining the coalition if you want to help make a difference in the health of Hoosiers with asthma. The coalition meets even months of the year, on the 2nd Thursday from 10:30am-12:00pm EST. InJAC offers a variety of professional development opportunities, the chance to network with other professionals across the state, and continuing education credits throughout the year.