Clean Air Council’s Clinician Outreach: Air Pollution and Respiratory Health

I feel blessed to have a job that compliments my graduate school education and my current research (Life Stress, Social Problem Solving and Asthma) and fulfills my general desire to promote public health.    This post highlights a new and exciting program that I am leading at CAC.

Clinician Outreach and Education: Air Pollution and Respiratory Health

A central component to successful asthma control is removal and avoidance of environmental triggers.  However, one study (Kilpatrick et al. 2002) revealed that only 1 in 5 physicians who see patients with health issues related to environmental exposures have been trained in conducting environmental trigger assessments.

That being the case, Pennsylvania’s Clean Air Council has started a program through which physicians, nurses, medical students, etc are educated on the types and sources of air pollution, how air pollution negatively impacts health (immune system, respiratory and cardiovascular health in particular) and what steps can be taken to mitigate exposure.  In addition, clinicians will be informed of ways they can be advocates for their patients outside the office.

A visit to a clinic or specialist should include a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s indoor and outdoor environment and communication of solutions to mitigate exposure.  Without these it is unlikely that the patient is receiving the best possible care.  Care providers have the opportunity (and responsibility, in my opinion) to express the importance of environmental triggers and provide solutions.  Through this outreach, Clean Air Council hopes to enable practitioners to increase their ability to individualize treatment plans thereby improving outcomes.   Providing these recommendations can serve as preventative care measures making asthma attacks less likely, and potentially reducing the amount of medication necessary to control their condition.

If you would like more information about this outreach project, or general information on air pollution, environmental triggers please contact me at smccormick (at) cleanair.org.

Resources:

Pennsylvania’s Clean Air Council (Philadelphia)

Environmental Protection Agency

Nationwide Daily Air Quality Index Reports

American Lung Association

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Respiratory Health)

Asthma Wiki