24-1007m Resources to Help Patients Reduce and Control Asthma Symptoms
Date: 09/27/24
Learn about treatment options that may help reduce your patient's asthma exacerbations
Asthma is a treatable, manageable condition that affects more than 25 million people in the United States. Appropriate medication management for patients with asthma could reduce the need for rescue medication as well as the costs associated with emergency room visits, inpatient admissions and missed days of work or school.
There are many ways to help patients reduce and control asthma symptoms, including lifestyle changes, medications, and other techniques.
How you can help
- Consider prescribing a formoterol-inhaled corticosteroid combination for acute exacerbations.
- Formoterol has both a short onset of action, similar to albuterol, and a long duration. Confirm that patients are adhering to their asthma medication including filling controller prescriptions as advised.
- Refer to the Asthma Medication Ratio (AMR) (PDF) HEDIS®1 tip sheet for key details about the HEDIS measure and more.
- Discuss challenges to adherence with patients – Identify poor adherence during a discussion with the patient. Find out if these barriers are present so you can address each. Is the patient:
- Not filling their medication?
- Stopping treatment too soon?
- Concerned about side effects (real or perceived)?
- Experiencing difficulty using their inhaler device (e.g., arthritis, does not understand instructions)?
- Not following up with their physician or appointments?
- Discuss key components of asthma care – The following guidelines may help improve care:
- Assess, diagnose and monitor asthma severity and control.
- Review medical history. Establish asthma diagnosis.
- Initial visit: Assess asthma severity to start treatment.
- Follow-up visit: Assess and control asthma at every visit. In the past four weeks, has the patient had:
- Daytime asthma symptoms more than twice a week?
- Any night waking due to asthma?
- Any activity limited due to asthma?
- Quick reliever use for symptoms more than twice a week?
- Prioritize patients with low asthma medication ratio (e.g., less than 0.5).
- Educate for a partnership in care.
- Review medication technique and adherence. Demonstrate and have the patient demonstrate back.
- Assess side effects.
- Identify poor adherence: Check medication usage, date of last controller prescription, and date and dose counter on the inhaler.
- Identify and/or review potential triggers and how to minimize exposure to them. Encourage patients to quit smoking and refer them to smoking cessation programs (see below).
- Discuss solutions with patients if they have any barriers to filling their prescription.
- Discuss basic asthma facts:
- Explain how medication works. Provide information on how to take and manage medication.
- Review the difference between a controller and a rescue medication.
- Discuss how some are required even though you may not be having symptoms.
- Step up or step down the approach to manage asthma.
- Therapy is increased as needed and decreased when possible.
- Identify and address any common problems such as inhaler technique, adherence and allergen exposure.
- Provide patient with educational resources to help manage asthma.
- Complete a written asthma action plan and schedule a follow up.
- Review the Asthma Action Plan (see below) with the patient and revise as needed. Encourage patient to follow their action plan.
- Schedule next follow-up appointment with patient.
Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA)2
Refer to GINA for guidelines to help improve asthma awareness, prevention and management. GINA develops and publishes evidence-based, annually updated resources for clinicians. GINA guidance is adopted by national asthma guidelines in many countries, adapted to fit local healthcare systems, practices, and resource availability. To learn more, access GINA webpage.
Helpful resources
Below are available resources on asthma management and prevention.
Resources | Access and program information |
Asthma action plan | Use this helpful guide to develop an action and treatment plan for your patients: AsthmaActionPlan (PDF) |
(For Medi-Cal) CalAIM asthma remediation services
| Refer eligible members with poorly controlled asthma in the past 12 months as defined below:
Access the Asthma Remediation Referral Form (PDF). |
Digital resources for asthma | |
Health Net Provider Library | The Health Net Provider Library contains materials developed specifically for providers by provider type and line of business. The library includes provider operations manuals, archives of communications (updates and letters), forms, and contacts. Access the Provider Library on Health Net’s provider portal. |
Krames Online - patient education library | Access Krames Online for an extensive library of evidence-based, peer-reviewed information on medications and health sheets covering diseases and conditions, diagnoses and treatments, surgeries and procedures, and wellness and safety for people of all ages available at Understanding Asthma. |
Smoking cessation programs | Available for all lines of business:
Commercial (HMO, PPO, POS):
|
1Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). HEDIS is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
2Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). Global Strategy For Asthma Management and Prevention for Health Professionals Updated 2019.
Additional information
Providers are encouraged to access Health Net’s provider portal for real-time information, including eligibility verification, claims status, prior authorization status, plan summaries, and more.
If you have questions regarding the information contained in this update, contact the Health Net Provider Services Center by email, by phone or through the Health Net provider portal.
Line of business | Phone number | |
Ambetter from Health Net IFP Ambetter PPO | ||
Ambetter HMO | ||
Health Net Employer Group HMO, POS, & PPO | ||
Medi-Cal (including CS and ECM providers) | N/A |
This information applies to Physicians and Participating Physician Groups (PPGs).
For Medi-Cal, this information applies to Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne counties.