IN THE NEWS

The National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB) is engaging asthma patients in their own care through a new campaign aimed at improving asthma education. In a new public service announcement (PSA), the NAECB urges patients to ask for consultation with a certified asthma educator (AE-C®) during their next visit with their doctor. Certified asthma educators (AE-C®) enhance asthma management by promoting excellence in asthma education. The PSA highlights the seriousness of asthma and the opportunities available to asthma patients who demand help from a qualified healthcare professional.

“With the quality of asthma management education ranging from excellent to non-existent across the United States, a gold standard to promote quality asthma management through the certification process is vital,” said Antoinette Gardner, RN, BSN, M.Ed., AE-C®, NAECB Board Chair.

The public service announcement shows a childcare worker on a playground with children. The worker suffers an asthma attack and later goes to the physician’s office and asks if there is a certified asthma educator (AE-C®) on staff. The final scene shows the certified asthma educator (AE-C®) providing care to the childcare worker.

According to the American Lung Association, the prevalence of asthma has increased in the past two decades. With an estimated seven percent (or 20 million people) of the population suffering from asthma, excellent asthma management is essential. The public is also growing increasingly aware of the severity of asthma and the need for effective healthcare.

The PSA encourages patients to seek out certified asthma educators (AE-C®) to receive the quality education they need to properly manage their asthma and improve their quality of life.

Certified asthma educators (AE-C®) are licensed healthcare professionals or individuals with 1,000 hours of asthma education experience who have successfully passed a rigorous examination. For a list of certified asthma educators (AE-C®) by state, visit http://www.naecb.org.

The NAECB will distribute the PSA in the Spring of 2005 to approximately 400 media outlets nationwide. It was produced with an unrestricted grant from Genentech, a biotechnology company, based in South San Francisco, California.

Incorporated in 2001, the National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB) is a not-for-profit entity dedicated to the promotion of optimal asthma management and quality of life among individuals with asthma, their families and communities, by advancing excellence in asthma education through the certified asthma educator process.