Childhood asthma management

• HealthPathways Melbourne – a recently updated clinical management and referral resource for use during consultations. It gives clinicians a single website to access referral pathways and resources, including:
  • Asthma in Children and Adolescents
  • Assessing Respiratory Presentations in General Practice
  • Paediatric Respiratory Referrals
• Asthma action plan (AAP) templates are available in medical practice management software such as Best Practice and Medical Director. Find them here:
  • Asthma action plan library
  • Asthma action plan template

AAPs are required by schools and childcare providers, in line with the Victorian Government Department of Education’s Asthma Policy. They can be provided in colour, or black and white.

Tip for parents – You may wish to advise patients with smartphones to take a photo of their child’s plan, so they have a copy accessible in colour to show the traffic light system. This has been trialled and found to be an effective intervention. Consider suggesting uploading the AAP to My Health Record.

More information on AAPs can be found on the Better Health website and in our Childhood asthma management resource for health providers in Melbourne’s inner west.

• NWMPHN – visit our events calendar to register for asthma education and training sessions hosted by us and our partners.
• National Asthma Council Australia education and training for primary health care and allied health professionals. Facilitated by respiratory experts, including asthma and respiratory educators, respiratory scientists, GPs and nurse practitioners.
  • Improving childhood asthma management in the inner west (clinical). This one-hour online interactive education program is designed to meet the needs of health professionals living and working in Melbourne’s inner western suburbs. The training is for general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists and allied health care providers. Available online on 1 CPD activity point.
  • Asthma and respiratory workshop education program. Asthma best practice education workshops for primary health care and allied health professionals. Two training formats are available: face-to-face workshops and online webinars. Attendance is free.
• Asthma Australia: Practical solutions for challenges in primary care. This free accredited asthma education for GPs and other health professionals is through Think GP. CPD activity points available.

These free services provide asthma education and support for children (1 to 17 years) with asthma or wheeze. An asthma nurse educator works one on one with families to manage asthma. Patients can refer themselves or be referred by a GP.

cohealth and DPV Health provide these services in the NWMPHN region. Read our case study and see below for more information.

• Childhood asthma support – our guide to resources and services for children, and young people with asthma, their parents and carers, who live in Melbourne’s inner north and inner west.
• First aid charts – easy to follow first aid charts have been developed by the National Asthma Council Australia:
  • First aid for asthma chart for children under 12
  • First aid for asthma chart for children over 12
  • Selecting and adjusting asthma medication for adults and adolescents

National Asthma Council Australia

• Asthma and Your Child information resource pack – available in Arabic, Vietnamese and Chinese.
• Asthma Action Plan – available in Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Korean, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese and Swedish.

 Asthma Australia

• 10 Ways to Live Well with Asthma community resource – available in Burmese, Dari, Dinka, Nepali, Swahili and Vietnamese.
• Asthma Action Plan – available in Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, Dari, Dinka, Nepali, Swahili and Vietnamese.
• Asthma First Aid – available in Arabic, Punjabi and Vietnamese.
• What your doctor needs to know community resource – available in Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, Dari, Dinka, Nepali, Swahili and Vietnamese.

Royal Children’s Hospital

• Asthma fact sheet – available in Arabic, Assyrian, Burmese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), English, Karen, Persian, Somali, Turkish and Vietnamese.