What is the Oregon Asthma Resource Bank?

The Oregon Asthma Resource Bank is an on-line collection of brief and easy-to-read written materials developed and tested by the Oregon Asthma Network.

What is the purpose?

The purpose of the Oregon Asthma Resource Bank is to help improve self-management of asthma by making clear and simple patient education handouts and other written materials readily available at no charge.

The Oregon Asthma Resource Bank materials are provided as a public service by the State of Oregon and the Oregon Asthma Network, supported in part by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What kinds of materials are in the resource bank?

The Oregon Asthma Resource Bank has a series of one-page patient education handouts, a patient questionnaire for use at office visits, and an Asthma Action Plan that summarizes doctor’s instructions for patient self-management.

These materials are practical tools to help teach and reinforce key messages about asthma management. They explain ways to help keep asthma under control and what to do when there are problems. Some of the materials have places to fill in names of medications and instructions for a patient.

How can you use the materials?

The materials are designed for clinicians, health educators, and others to share and discuss during a session with asthma patients or their caregivers (including the parent or guardian of a child with asthma):

• Clinicians: you can use the materials for patient education during an appointment.

• Case managers, nurses, health plan quality improvement coordinators: you can use the materials to provide follow-up asthma education after an appointment, emergency department visit, or hospitalization.

• School nurses, school staff members, other community health educators: you can use the materials to reinforce asthma management as directed by a clinician.