2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

Home Events & Meetings Annual Meeting Schedule & Program

Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

337427
Multimedia Asthma Education Program for Kids


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 10:50 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.

Gary Ashwal, MA Health Communication, Booster Shot Media, Santa Monica, CA
Alex Thomas, MD, Booster Shot Media, Santa Monica, CA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
“Iggy and The Inhalers” is a multi-media educational program that includes (1) videos, (2) comic book, (3) trading cards, (4) posters, (5) inhaler labels, (6) stickers, and (7) patient handouts. This pediatric health education tool turns asthma medications into super-heroes and allergens into villains to help kids understand how to take control of their asthma. It has been used at asthma camps, health fairs, and medical clinics. The materials are designed to assist allergists, pediatricians, school nurses, and other asthma educators to help newly diagnosed pediatric asthma patients understand the basics of asthma pathophysiology, signs, symptoms, medication-use, and triggers.

By imitating the multi-format narrative used by popular children’s entertainment, the program aim to extend learning beyond the brief period of instruction in the clinic setting, to a more lasting, intuitive understanding of asthma management. The health behavior addressed by Iggy and The Inhalers is for kids with asthma to use their medication properly. Rescue and Controller medications can be easily mixed up by patients who do not understand the difference between medications. Also, depending on the brand, the medications can look similar (e.g., same color, same shape, etc.) which can confuse patients. The primary objective of Iggy is to teach children the difference between Rescue and Controller medications, with the goal of improving compliance and self-efficacy.

Iggy and The Inhalers was developed with input from patients and formal testing of the prototype version. Final versions of the materials are now being evaluated in clinics and schools.

Learning Areas:

Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Describe the benefit of a multi-format approach to patient education using video, comics, trading cards, and other materials. Identify potential adaptations of materials in one format to a complementary format for more versatile teaching and learning.

Keyword(s): Asthma, Health Promotion and Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have developed and tested health communication materials for 9 years, involving multiple media formats. These materials have been distributed nationally for public health, patient education, and research programs. I am the co-founder of Booster Shot Media, along with Alex Thomas MD, and we create patient education materials independently and in collaboration with researchers at universities and medical schools.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3182.0: PHEHP Materials Contest