The Asthma Disease Management Program is offered at 15 designated COPC offices and is delivered by Barb Rushley, a registered respiratory therapist and certified asthma educator.
Central Ohio Primary Care patients who are diagnosed with asthma are referred to the program by their physician. Once in the program, each family is provided individualized asthma education discussing anatomy, triggers – recognition and avoidance, early warning signs, symptoms, medication and a treatment plan.
Pulmonary function testing is completed on individuals who are 5 years of age and older. This diagnostic tool helps your physician and our asthma educator determine what level of treatment is needed. If there is concern about exercise-induced asthma, you also will run for 10 to 15 minutes as part of your pulmonary function testing to see if exercise is a problem for you.
Each patient walks away from the office with an Asthma Action Plan, and has been instructed on proper use of asthma devices such as inhalers, spacers and peak flow meters. You are followed by the asthma educator and are seen in follow up visits no less than every six months or sooner. Your disease is then managed by your Central Ohio Primary Care physician and the asthma educator with the ultimate goal of decreasing emergency room/urgent care visits, hospitalizations, unnecessary physician office visits and improved quality of life.