Part 1
Notably, childhood asthma is one of the diseases responsible for deaths of children in the United States. A major point to note in this scenario is that without the proper medical care to children, possibilities of comorbidities from this infection are likely to be high (Lenney, 2012). In most cases, families that have got weak financial muscle power usually find challenges accessing the required medical care for their children who are struggling with the condition. As such, there is the need for state and federal programs to be put in place in order to address this condition with the objectives of achieving desirable outcomes for such children.
In the state of Maine, there are programs that have been set up to specifically address the problems associated with childhood asthma. One such program is the Maine Asthma Prevention and Control, Program. This plan is aimed at providing the required leadership and coordination which is crucial in preventing and intervening during asthmatic conditions. Its funding is from the CDC. The program is mandated with monitoring the prevalence of asthma at the community and state level (Maine CDC: DHHS Maine, 2013). Secondly, it plays the role of providing training and education to health professionals in terms of diagnosing and treating the ailment. Thirdly, it is tasked with educating patients on the ways they can utilize to manage the condition. Additionally, it is responsible for providing consultations on supporting community-based programs for asthma control and prevention. Finally, this program is responsible for disseminating information about programs that indicate reduced emergency visits, hospitalizations and school absenteeism because of the condition.
Part 2: Communication plan
It is important that the mother and the child have a good understanding of the risk factors likely to increase the recurrence of the condition. Therefore, there is the need for a dialogue between the physician and the mother about how well to manage the condition of the child by avoiding the triggers to the condition. Additionally, there is the need for providing the key information concerning all the medication in terms of what the contents of the medication are, the reason for taking the medication, the time for drug administration, and the duration of administration (Jimmy & Jose, 2011). The physician is also supposed to inform the mother about the side effects of the medication and the how to manage such effects in case they show up. Additionally, to improve the adherence of the child to the medication, it will be important that medication adherence aids like drug cards, medicine related sheets and medication charts be provided to the mother by the physician to make it easy for them to remember the medication times. The presiding physician should also make up follow-ups to assess the extent of drug adherence by sending periodic emails and making calls to the mother and child.
References
Jimmy, B., & Jose, J. (2011). Patient Medication Adherence: Measures in Daily Practice. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3191684/
Lenney, W. (2012). Asthma in children. Medicine, 40(5), 238-242.
Maine CDC: DHHS Maine. (2013). Maine Asthma Prevention and Control Program - Division of Population Health - Maine CDC: DHHS Maine. Retrieved from http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/mat/index.htm
MMA. (2015). Free Clinics | Maine Medical Association. Retrieved from https://www.mainemed.com/free-clinics
