The physicians at PHCA recognize the difficulties many of our patients have in managing their asthma symptoms. In order to improve the quality of life for these patients and their families, we have offered an asthma education program since 2005. Taught by a certified asthma educator, these visits are offered in our Peabody office several days each week.
During a visit with our certified asthma educator, you and your child will be asked to answer a detailed set of questions; these will assess the severity of your child’s asthma. Your child’s symptoms, triggers, and limitations will all be discussed. In some cases, spirometry may be used to determine the severity of your child’s asthma, or to evaluate his or her response to treatment. Based on this information, a customized asthma action plan will be developed for use at home and at school. You and your child will be given detailed information about the appropriate use of asthma medications and delivery devices as part of that plan. Your child will receive age-appropriate teaching about asthma, and taught self-management skills to empower them. Our educator will also work closely with your child’s primary care physician to monitor your child’s progress during follow-up visits. In addition, our asthma educator is also able to evaluate patients that may have exercise induced asthma.
If you would like to learn more about our asthma education program, or to schedule an appointment with our certified asthma educator, please call the asthma program directly at 978-818-6772.