Developing and Implementing a Citywide Asthma Action Plan: A Community Collaborative Partnership

Objectives Asthma affects 1 in 10 children in the United States, with higher prevalence among children living in poverty. Organizations in San Antonio, Texas, partnered to design and implement a uniform, citywide asthma action plan to improve asthma management capacity in schools. Methods The asthma action plan template was modified from that of the Global Initiative for Asthma. School personnel were trained in symptom recognition, actions to take, and use of equipment before the asthma action plan implementation. The annual Asthma Action Plan Summit was organized as a forum for school nurses, healthcare providers, and members of the community to exchange ideas and strategies on implementation, as well as to revise the plan. Results The asthma action plan was implemented in all 16 local school districts. Feedback received from school nurses suggests that the citywide asthma action plan resulted in improved asthma management and student health at schools. Conclusions The evidence in this study suggests that community organizations can successfully collaborate to implement a citywide health initiative similar to the asthma action plan.