Asthma

The Division offers support for General Practices in improving their management of patient's asthma. The Division is working cooperatively with the Asthma Foundation of Tasmania in providing education and resources for GPs and their staff.

Downloads

• 2009 COPDX Guidelines 

• Asthma Action Plan

• Asthma Management Handbook

• Asthma Cycle of Care Guidelines 

• Asthma Treatment in children  

• Spirometry Handbook - (First published 1995, updated Aug 2004). Written as a guide for those involved in the performance and interpretation of spirometry in clinical practice, The Spirometry Handbook is an introductory text. It is not intended to be an exhaustive review but rather a guide aiming to help improve the knowledge and techniques of those already doing and interpreting spirometry, and to introduce spirometry to those learning how to do it for the first time. The online version has search functions to make it quick and easy for busy GPs to find the information they are seeking.

• Spirometer Users' and Buyers' Guide - The Spirometer Users' and Buyers' Guide was written by Australian and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Scientists (ANZSRS) members Dr Debbie Burton, Assoc. Prof. David P. Johns and Ms Maureen Swanney. GPs from our Division participated in the consultations to test the "user-friendliness" of the guide. The guide aims to give General Practice and others performing lung function testing all the essentials on fundamental aspects of lung function testing.

• The second half of the guide deals with the selection of a spirometer - all those in the list of currently available spirometers meet the ANZSRS and American Thoracic Society criteria. Reference values are included, plus a very helpful state-by-state list of 'resource respiratory laboratories' willing to answer Practice questions about purchasing a spirometer and provide advice on spirometry measurement.

• Spirometry Audio-Visual Resources - A video presentation on spirometry in general practice, presented by the National Asthma Council as part of its role to educate GPs on better asthma diagnosis.

Other Resources

• Asthma Australia

• National Asthma Council

• Asthma Foundation of Tasmania

• Patient resource: Better Living with COPD – A patient guide ^{Dec 09}

• General Practice Resources from the Lung Foundation ^{Dec 09}

• The COPD algorithm - recommended by the Australian Lung Foundation and the University of Adelaide  ^{Dec 09}

• The Asthma Score  The Asthma Score consists of five (5) questions, reflecting all aspects of asthma control, described in current asthma guidelines and which have been validated against official measurement methods and specialists’ ratings. Completing the Asthma Score encourages best practice asthma management.

• Lung Health promotion centre at the Alfred Hospital.